Eyes of the Soul
by ObakeAri
Summary: It was only a nightmare. No. It was a memory, I had lived through this nightmare before, and I continued to relive it each night in my sleep. I would always relive the nightmare. The memories would always haunt me. I was the cursed child.
1. Prologue

Hello world! So this isn't exactly my first actual _fanfic_, but its my first actual published fanfic. Etsuko is an original character, but everything else belongs to their respective owners. And a quick note, I apologize if the prologue is really confusing...I promise I will not always write that way. It was for dramatic effect...ish.

Well, without further ado, ENJOI!

* * *

_The man is attacking. __He wants to kill us. Heat surrounds me, fire cracks the wood of our house. Yet I cannot see a thing. I do not know what this 'fire' looks like. I do not know where this fire is. I am helpless. I scream._

"_Daddy!" I shout. Tears run down my face. I fall to the floor. The floor is also hot. My knees start to burn. I cannot get up. I cannot breathe. Something foul and suffocating surrounds my nose. They call it smoke. I do not know what smoke is nor do I know what it looks like. But I cannot breathe. I scream for my father again. I cough instead._

"_Etsuko!" I hear my father's voice. He is calling for me. He is running. He panics. The evil man lunges toward my father, striking him down with brute strength._

"_You cannot save her," The evil man says. Darkness drips off his fangs. My father growls._

"_You will be silent," Father hisses. He pushes the evil man away, striking him with his claws. Father continues forward, searching._

_The evil man stands. Blood now seeps out of the man's chest armor. The man covers his wound with his hand. He frowns. But then he shrugs. He does not care that Father got away from him. He laughs instead. It will all work out in his favor anyway. _

_My mother, who had been struck in the head, regains her consciousness. She sits up. But then she realizes she is imprisoned in chains. The evil man holds these chains. Mother cannot get away. She has lost her freedom._

"_You bastard!" She screams. The evil man laughs. Mother is now helpless. She cries. _

_Father cries as well. He cannot save Mother from her imprisonment. He cannot save me either. He clings to a false hope. _

_I cry as well. I cannot breathe. The air is so hot. Fire makes the wood crack. Above me, something gives way. My home falls. I am inside. I am crushed._

_Mother screams. The evil man binds her and carries her away. Father roars. His family is now destroyed. His heart shatters. He pulls up the fallen wood, tossing it aside. It burns his hands, but he does not care. Father finds me. My eyes are closed, my bones are broken. I am dead. _

_Father picks me up, examining my injuries. He pulls out his sword. I am dead._

"_You could not stop him. You could not save her," Father grits his teeth. He throws the sword, "You piece of shit!" the sword is thrown and falls to the ground. Father stands, cradling me in his arms. I am dead._

_Father rummages through the ash and finds the remains of my blanket—it is barely big enough to cover my body. Father lays me in the grass by the cliff side. He places the blanket over me. Father cries. It is the first and last time that he will ever shed a tear. His heart will petrify. I am dead. He picks up his sword. Reluctant. He walks away and never returns._

_But I am not dead._

"You're all alone,"_ The evil man says. His voice is inside my head. I am surrounded by darkness, _"They are all dead. It's your fault."

_It's my fault. I am not dead. I should be. I open my eyes. It is still dark. I sit up. I still cannot see. I could never see. Smoke lingers in the air. The fire is gone. My house is gone. My parents are gone. I am alone. I am alive. I should not be alive. _

I awaken with a start, sitting up. A shriek escapes my mouth. Gasping for air, I check my surroundings. My vision was as dark as ever, but nothing dangerous was near me. I sigh heavily, beads of sweat cover my forehead. It was only a nightmare.

No. It was not just a nightmare. It was worse. It was a memory, a nightmare that I had lived through, and relived each night in my sleeps as if it were a plague.

I lean forward, cupping my hand over my face and silently cried. I would always relive the nightmare.

I am the cursed child.


	2. Chapter 1

On to chapter 1! Okay, so I again have to apologize if the beginning starts off really slow and might not actually seem like an Okami/Inuyasha crossover, but it will pick up and I will get Inuyasha and everyone wrapped up in this story, I promise! Just bare with me!

ENJOI

* * *

As I walked down the narrow path, feeling the vibrations of the earth around me, I couldn't help but find a peace of mind that entranced me. The air of the field was the purest I had ever come across, suggesting that the humans who lived here had not been harmed by demons in at least a hundred years. On the other hand, I couldn't help but pick up the faint scent of demon blood and the foul stench of death. Something had been here not long ago. Something big. But it seemed that whatever it was, it was gone, leaving behind only the unsettling remains of distilled air from battle. I narrowed my eyes slightly, deep in thought. The landscape around me was far better than what I was expecting when I entered this countryside. It seemed that I was not the only one with an agenda to slay evil demons.

The scent of humans caught my attention. I stopped, surveying the land ahead. It felt like a village lay in between the mountain pass. I knew this village.

"Kamiki…" I thought to myself, as I continued forward. The air around me was changing, and though I couldn't see it, I knew night time was coming. I decided to enter the village, seeking shelter. It had been three years since I was in Kamiki. I wondered if anyone would recognize me, or if anything had changed. Would they even welcome me into their village? After everything that had happened because of me?

I stopped, placing my hands on my hips, "Crap! I hadn't even thought of that! Damn…" Well, at least I hadn't _entered_ the village yet. I placed a clawed finger to my lip, thinking. I needed to rest for the night, and I didn't want to cause any demon trouble in that village. But I did know one place I could go that wasn't too far…it was actually on a cliff just at the outskirts of the other side of the village. I smiled to myself, "Of course!"

Leaping, I took to the air, hoisting myself up by hopping on rocky ledges along the cliff side surrounding Kamiki until I reached the top. I carefully made my way around Kamiki barely hugging its perimeters. As I approached my destination, I slowly realized that the place I was looking for was no more. The vibrations of the earth around me showed no sign of the house I was looking for—only a pile of remains. I approached at what seemed to be the home's remains, and placed my hand on the pile. Wood. Burnt wood, to be exact. I could still smell the ash from when the building had caught fire.

"Foolish!" I barked to myself, kicking the ground at my feet as I stood. I should have known that when this home had set fire, it would merely be reduced to rubble, if anything. Oddly enough, I had wondered if Kamiki had also been attacked on that fateful day, yet the buildings showed no signs of damage aside from natural aging. Had my father fended off the mysterious attackers from that day?

Humans buzzed about their village below me. The wind began to blow, catching my hair with it. I closed my eyes. The darkness that had enveloped them since my birth remained even as I blinked. For some reason I had almost expected to see a beautiful landscape before me, filled with colors, instead of the sketchy outlines that my senses revealed to me as an alternate form of sight. How foolish I could be sometimes.

My head tilted to face the sky, as if I were watching the clouds above. I wondered what clouds looked like…

"_Picture something white and fluffy…"_ A voice told me in my head. I giggled slightly to myself, an old memory flashing through my mind. The visions in my head were that of silhouettes, and shadows.

"_White and fluffy?"_ _I remember asking my father. He grunted softly, as if to say 'yes'. I frowned, I couldn't see anything. All I could see was darkness. My hand clutched tighter to the sleeve of Father's cloak, embracing the warmth of his body. He sat next to me on a grassy field. We always sat and watched the sunset together. Father would tell me of the array of colors that encased the sky. The Clouds were drifting in front of the sun, he had said, turning into a golden orange as they passed by. I had asked him what clouds looked like. And he told me. _

"_Yes, white and fluffy," he repeated. He chuckled slightly, grabbing hold of my shoulders, pressing my face into his cloak. I closed my eyes, nestling into the soft fur around his shoulder. "They look as if you could touch them and they would feel like my cloak, but if you were to fly through them, it feels as if you're being splashed in the face with water," Father explained, pinching my nose. _

"_How would you know?" I asked, a sly smile forming on my lips, "If they look fluffy? Then how would you know they're not!"_

"_How would I know? Ha!" Father scooped me up in his arms and took to the air. I began to scream and laugh at the same time. The wind rushed and pulled at my sensitive ears and I covered them, squinting my eyes._

"_PUT ME DOWN DADDY!" I screeched. Father laughed. _

"_If I put you down, you'd fall!" He replied. I gulped, and clutched onto father tighter as we dove into what felt like a pool of water. I held my breath. Father's speed slowed gently until he stopped, holding me tightly so I wouldn't fall._

"_What was that?" I asked, once I realized we weren't really in the water and I could still breathe._

"_That, my dear child, was a cloud," He told me as he lowered us gently back to the ground, kissing my forehead. _

"Etsuko?" A voice asked me. I jumped, turning. I had become so entranced in my thoughts I had lost my sense of sight. I sent a pulse through the earth, the vibrations formed the shape of a human woman who had once taken great care of me as a little girl. I sensed her movements, a dumbfounded look crossing my face. The woman placed her hand to her mouth, "Oh, I'm so sorry, I forgot that you—" She began. I smiled, bowing to the woman. Yes, I _bowed _to her. I may be a demon, but that doesn't give me any reason to disrespect my elders.

"Lady Kushi, it's been so long," I said, "Please forgive me for intruding into the village. I didn't mean to-" Kushi stopped me suddenly as she embraced me in a long hug, the shaking of her body suggested she was crying. Tears stung at my blind eyes.

"Oh, it's so good to see you, Etsuko!" She said. I closed my eyes, sobbing, and clutched onto Kushi like a child. This village didn't hate me after all.


	3. Chapter 2

...I don't have much to say about this...just read it.

ENJOI

* * *

"So tell me, what brought you back to Kamiki?" Kushi asked me as we wandered about the village. I closed my eyes, inhaling the sweet air of the village. The morning sun warmed my skin, I looked up to the sky, frowning slightly: I would never know what it was like to be blinded by the sun. I shrugged.

"I dunno, I was in the neighborhood, I guess," I said. Well, that was half true. Initially I traveled to Shinshu Field because I had heard strange rumors about a vial demon that had reemerged after a hundred years slumber. Nippon—the countryside along the farthest outskirts of the Western Lands in which my father and his father before him had ruled—was the purest of any land in Japan. No demon had haunted Nippon in over a hundred years since Kamiki's curse had been lifted by the legendary wolf Shiranui and the warrior Nagi. But when I arrived, Shinshu was as flawless as ever. However, a horrible stench of whatever demon had attacked was fading away. Something had already defeated it. In any case, there had been a lot of bloodshed; the stench stung my nose.

"Is that all?" Kushi asked. I thought for a moment. Should I warn her about the possible danger? My father once said that humans cling to ignorance in order to protect themselves as their bodies were weak, and it was difficult to protect themselves from the dangers of realities. I brought my hand to my chin, debating how much of that statement was true.

"Yeah, pretty much," I lied, just to be on the safe side. Despite having spent most of my childhood living around humans, I still could not read them for the life of me. They were so unpredictable; I was always overestimating and underestimating their abilities. To this day, I still cannot figure out just how accurate my father's assumptions about humans are. Though one thing was for sure, he definitely had a strong opinion about them.

"Hmm," Kushi said to herself. We now stood in her rice field as I began to help her pick the grains of rice. My toes wriggled slightly, enjoying the rare sensation of water, even though it distorted my vision. Kushi stopped suddenly, looking up. I sensed her movement, curious as to what she was seeing, when I picked up the sound of paws bounding across the earth. The owner of these paws was obviously light on their feet, but the man that seemed to ride on them was clumsily holding on for dear life.

"Dammit, Fido! Put me down!" A man's voice screamed. Susano. How long it had been since I picked a fight with that old geezer…

This "Fido" barked in response and made its way to Kushi and me. It was a wolf, no doubt, but the purity in its aura was overwhelming. I took a step back, feeling somewhat humbled in its presence. The wolf stopped in front of us, and wagged its tail at Kushi. Susano angrily got off the wolf's back and began to curse at the wolf.

"Dammit Fido! Why the hell did you just do that!" Susano roared. Kushi giggled, rubbing the wolf's chin.

"Oh Susano, be nice. Weren't you just telling me at the Kamiki Festival how much you liked Snowy?" Kushi explained. Susano paused and began tracing a circle in the ground with his feet, stumbling over his words.

"Oh, uh, well, yeah, but haven't you ever seen what kind of torture this wolf puts me through?" Susano asked.

"She's not that bad, dear," Kushi scoffed, placing her hands on her hips.

The conversation around me slowly began to fade, and my 'vision' blurred into nothing. Dazed in a focus now drawn to the wolf in front of me, her aura was so overwhelming I had to take a step back to keep from falling over. She turned her head towards me, as if to meet eyes with me. If our eyes had locked onto each other, I wouldn't have known, but through my eyes, a faint light began to shine through the darkness. Intrigued by this light, I stepped forward. Was I really s_eeing _light?

"Hold on!" A small voice erupted through the fog of my daze and he sketchy outlines of my surroundings returned. The owner of the voice was evidently so small that I had not noticed him before, but now he was bouncing on top of the wolf's head, suddenly yelling with such a surprisingly loud voice, and so suddenly that I did what any sixteen-year-old girl would do. Scream, run backwards, trip over something, fall into the rice field behind me, drench my kimono in the process, and let out a frustrated mix between a groan of annoyance and a shriek over how cold the water surrounding the rice was.

"The hell is that!" I demanded. The creature bounced his way towards me, stopping at my foot.

"You're a demon!" It yelled pointing at me, obviously angry. I nodded my head numbly.

"Yes…" I said, wondering what his point was.

"What the hell do you want with Kushi!" The creature demanded, "And how the hell does something so vial and foul smelling get to be so cute!"

I frowned, sniffing my arm. "I don't smell that bad…" I mumbled to myself.

"Issun, can you please leave Etsuko be?" She asked, "She's fatigued from her travels." I watched the bouncing creature's movements. It stopped bouncing and eyed me over.

"Etsuko, is it?" Issun said skeptically, "Tell me, oh 'Joyous Child', what the hell is a demon doing in a human village? And how do you know Kushi?"

I stood, squeezing the water out of my clothes as best I could. I attempted to glare at the bug-like thing, but figured I probably just looked as if I were staring off into space. "Gee, isn't it obvious?" I asked sarcastically, "I _live _here. At least I used to."

"What the hell?" Issun retorted. He bounced back atop the wolf's head; she too was watching me intently, her head following my movements.

"What?" I asked.

"Why the hell would a demon live in a human village?" Issun demanded, his tone growing spiteful. The wolf in turn lowered her head and let out a slight growl.

I opened my mouth to answer Issun, but was stopped as another voice reached my ear, it was so unexpected to me that I jumped as it said, _It _is_ rather peculiar, demon child. What brought you here? _

It wasn't like any voice I had ever heard—I wasn't sure if I had really heard it or not—normally when someone spoke the sounds that came out of their mouths punctured the air around them, and I could sense who was speaking. This voice…it was as if it were speaking in my head. I wanted to think that it was the wolf, but still…it just seemed so…unnerving to me.

"It's alright Issun," Kushi said, holding her hands out in front of me, "Etsuko was born in this village. Her parents have protected Kamiki since they came here on that fateful day; she grew up here."

Issun let out an annoyed grunt as he pulled out something that seemed like a needle. He waved it at me from his perch on the wolf, "Then how come I haven't seen you since I've been here?"

I crossed my arms, "Oh, I don't know, maybe because I've felt like going off on my own and wandering around the land for a few years?" The sarcasm dripped off of my teeth. I did _not _like where this conversation was leading. The air around me froze as my body tensed, preparing for any fight that could possibly ensue.

"And why is that?" Issun asked. He and the wolf were circling me at this point, preparing to strike. I narrowed my eyes, pursing my lips together. Instinctually, a low growl lifted up from my throat, but I held it down.

"Because demons, particularly _dog demons_, are naturally nomads. They may rule over demonic empires of their own, but it is extremely difficult for them to stay in one place for too long. It's a surprise my father wanted to stay in this village so badly for so long," I explained. The wolf stopped, her head still turned towards me.

"A dog demon? What does a dog demon have to do with you?" Issun asked. I sighed, pinching my nose with my forefinger and thumb. Was this guy really that dense?

_I think she was referring to the fact that she is a dog demon, Issun_, The feminine voice said again. This time I had to hold in a scream, I was taken so off guard. Where was that voice coming from? The wolf's head was tilted slightly upward, watching Issun. Issun looked down at the wolf and sighed.

"But she looks nothing like a dog demon, Ammy!" Issun retorted, "Look at her hair! It's some dark brownish…black color. And her eyes…they're the right color but they lack that pizazz in them. And the look on her face doesn't express any fierce intensity that dog demons are known for; she acts as if she's blind."

"I _am_ blind, you idiot," I scoffed to the bug, my hands clenched into fists. Both Issun and the wolf jumped.

"A blind demon?" Issun asked, bewildered. The wolf's head lowered, a sigh escaping her nostrils.

_So you are a cursed child, _the feminine voice said. My eyes widened.

"Cursed?" I asked aloud. Issun and the wolf stiffened, staring at me.

"You can understand Ammy?" Issun asked. I cocked my head.

"Ammy? Is that the weird voice that keeps talking out of nowhere?" I asked. Issun nodded his head, but let out a "humph".

"She's the wolf in front of you, toots. And you better show her some respect unless you want to end up being sent straight to the pits of hell, even if you are a demon. She's Amaterasu, the god of the sun," Issun explained. My jaw dropped slightly. That wolf really couldn't be the Shinto goddess, could it?

"Amaterasu?" I asked aloud. I placed my hands on my hips and observed the she-wolf through my senses. She did have an extremely pure aura, and her power felt unbelievable. But on the other hand this wolf's physique was identical to the statue of Shiranui, but Shiranui had died one hundred years ago. And plus, Amaterasu, along with the other gods were supposed to watch over the heavens in the Celestial Plane—the legendary home of the Celestial Beings. So what would the sun god be doing in this world?

The wolf must have sensed my doubt, as a loud growl emerged violently out of her jaw. She took a step towards me, leaning her body forward slightly. The air around the wolf shifted suddenly, sending a sharp child down my spine. I tensed in response, squatting slightly to prepare myself for defense.

"Issun! Snowy! _please_ leave Etsuko be!" Kushi pleaded at this point, "I am telling you that this child means no harm to our village nor to any humans! She is not a demon you need to slay!"

Amaterasu relaxed somewhat at Kushi's words. Somewhat.

_If you really do mean no harm, Etsuko, you better be prepared to plead your innocence,_ Amaterasu snarled,_ A demon is a demon, no matter how helpless._

"Ha! That's for sure," Issun said venomously, "The thing's blind! How the heck is she supposed to defend herself? Much less stay alive!"

"Oh, you don't need to worry about me," I growled. Bending my elbows, I lifted my hands, revealing sharp claws on each finger. Flexing my fingers slightly, my knuckles cracked, preparing to tear flesh to shreds. It felt as if lightning coursed through my veins. Crouching lower, I bared my teeth, revealing my canine fangs. My natural instincts began to take over completely.

"Etsuko!" Kushi scolded. I shook myself slightly, snapping out of my trance. I straightened myself immediately, then bowed to Amaterasu.

"Picking a fight with a god now, are we? That's an awfully bullish thing of you to do. I knew you had the brains of your mutt-of-a-father, but I didn't think you were _that_ stupid," Susano grumbled behind me. I let out a moan. That man could never say one nice thing to me, now could he?

"Um, forgive me, Lady Amaterasu," I said, ignoring Susano's remark, "It seems my instincts took over for a moment. Despite what you have seen from my kind, not all demons wish to harm humans. There are really many who prefer to coexist peacefully with humans, not interfering with their lives."

_It's not the other demons I am worried about, child, _Amaterasu lectured, _It's the demon in front of me that has decided to wander in a human village._

"The fact is that we can't trust you, demon," Issun barked. I let out a low growl under my breath in distaste. Issun continued: "And don't go planning on using your blindness to grant you pity! We know how ruthless your kind is!"

"Ruthless, that's for sure!" Susano barked, crossing his arms.

"Susano!" I gritted my teeth, "You're supposed to be helping me here!"

"Ha! After all the grief you caused me?" Susano retorted. Kushi slapped the man's back. Susano tensed up, letting out a grunt.

"Help her!" Kushi scolded.

"Okay! Fine!" Susano gave in, rubbing his shoulder in slight pain, "Listen, Brother…"

Amaterasu stopped, turning her attention to Susano.

_What is it now?_ Amaterasu sighed, the tension of the situation seemingly melting off the wolf.

"Ah, what is it now, old man!" Issun croaked.

"Etsuko is a…_nice_…young lady…I guess…and though she may be a pain in the ass sometimes…more like all the time…she won't kill anybody," Susano explained. Well, he could have been less hesitant with his positive comments about me, but I would take it.

"You sure?" Issun asked, translating Amaterasu's thoughts to the humans. Kushi nodded.

"I assure you that Etsuko means no harm," the woman said, bowing her head slightly. Issun and Amaterasu both turned back to face me, the tenseness in their bodies were evidence that they still didn't trust me.

"Well, it's not like you could do any harm. I mean, it's not like you can _see_ anything," Issun remarked. Amaterasu bowed her head in agreement as they began to walk away.

"Sure I can!" I said at around the same time Susano barked, "I didn't say she was harmless!" Regardless of which they heard first, Amaterasu turned back to face me.

"He means that I know how to fight," I explained, wishing I was capable of sending the human a death glare. Geez, one time I nearly tear down the guy's house and suddenly he has me on his Wanted Dead List. He was asking for it anyway… "I can also see just fine."

_I thought you said you were blind, _Amaterasu eyed me skeptically. I nodded my head.

"I am blind yes, but we demons have a few tricks up our sleeves to maneuver around that slight detail," I explained, smiling. The thought of winking at them for some added friendliness crossed my mind, but since I couldn't actually tell if I were looking at them, I decided against it.

"Okay…" Issun began, "But that still doesn't answer my question of what brought you here."

"Well," I started, observing Kushi and Susano behind me. I couldn't help but think about all my father had said about humans. I certainly didn't hate them, but there were some things about humans and their safety that made me wonder whether I should explain or not, "It's a really long story."

"We've got time," Issun said. I sighed.

"Have you ever heard of the demon Orochi?" I asked.

* * *

_**Issun**_

Issun stared at the demon girl in awe. First her misconception of humans led her to think Kushi and Susano were oblivious to Orochi's dwellings. Ha! As if. If anything it should have been the demon girl herself who was oblivious, or at least just didn't care. She was a demon after all…

But then there was her concern for the humans' wellbeing. _That_ was something completely new to the Poncle. Since when did a demon care about humans? True, he had heard of some demons getting together with humans and mating, even going so far as to conceive a child. But that was usually a one-time hitter deal. Usually with sake involved…

"Amaterasu, were you by chance the one who slayed Orochi?" Etsuko asked, snapping the Poncle out of his thoughts.

_Yes, but I had a good deal of help from Susano,_ Amaterasu answered. By this time, the three sat on the hillside where Sakuya's tree stood, and the wood sprite was quietly listening in on the conversation within the comforts of her sapling. The wolf had relaxed enough to lie one her belly with her paws tucked underneath her body. But her head remained upright and fully alert. _However, I've been told that we have not seen the last of the monsters. There have been rumors of a plague that has struck Sei-an city, and a monster much like Orochi might be behind it as well._

"The capital?" Etsuko asked. The demon sat on her knees, equally alert to Ammy. Her movements were strange, Issun thought. Her body faced the two, and she acted as if she could see, but her head was always tilted downward, and her eyes, though wide open and intent, gazed at something near the ground or straight ahead of her, focusing on particularly nothing. "That I had not heard of."

"It just sprang up," Issun explained, noting the way Etsuko's pointed ears flicked to attention at the sound of his voice. "Of course it was some half-baked prophet that told us this, but Sakuya's also been sensing some trouble lately. Plus we had a bit of a run-in at Taka Pass with some demons that disguised themselves as humans."

"I see," Etsuko said cautiously, "Do you have any leads as to what might be causing the problem?"

"Ammy just told you!" Issun barked, "We think it's a demon like Orochi!"

"Yeah, yeah, I know that, but what about specifics? Did the demons at Taka Pass say anything about what was going on in the city? Have you even gone into the city?" Etsuko asked. The wind blew gently around the trio, catching Etsuko's dark, chocolate-colored hair as it danced gently in the air. The rest of Etsuko's body remained motionless like a statue. Her hands were tucked into the long sleeves of her pink kimono. She looked very serene. Issun noted this about Etsuko. She wasn't drop-dead gorgeous like other women he had met, but there was a powerful gentleness about her, a serenity to her, that was very…different.

"We can't get in," Issun explained, crossing his arms and closing his eyes, "The bridge into Ryoshima Coast has been drawn up, and nobody's allowed in."

"Well, that's odd," Etsuko stated, placing her index finger to her chin. Issun scoffed and laid back against the bridge of Ammy's nose.

"How observational of you," Issun grumbled. It didn't seem like this Etsuko character wasn't the brightest crayon in the box either. Typical demon.

"Well then," Etsuko said, standing up. She closed her eyes and smiled a toothy grin—another first for Issun, "I guess we'll have to find a way to get in, then, won't we?"


	4. Chapter 3

Hello again, world! Sorry it took so long to upload chapter 3...school does that to a person :/ (then again, it's not like there are that many people stalking me to upload a new chapter...if you were I'm surprised, yet thankful, you didn't come to my doorstep with blowtorches in hand XD) Hopefully chapter 4 won't take as long, and any constructive criticism to help make this fanfic better is always accepted :)

ENJOI

* * *

**Etsuko**

It was late afternoon, yet Amaterasu and Issun were already planning to set out for the capital. I had every intention of going with them. Whether it was because I wanted to rid Nippon of whatever demon problems it was having or because I was itching for a fight, I was not sure. Animal instincts could be so tricky.

"You are _not _coming," was the first thing Issun said to me when I stepped outside Kushi's brewery. I groaned, ignoring the pest.

"Actually, I _am_," I corrected. We had had this argument ever since I offered to join them. At first both Issun and Amaterasu refused my idea, but I had somehow managed to convince the wolf that joining them would be a good test for me to prove that I was not the stereotypical demon that enjoyed eating humans. Issun was another story.

"I ain't babysitting a helpless demon," Issun scoffed. I rolled my eyes.

"For the last time, I am not helpless!" A growl escaped my throat and I leaned towards the bug on top of the wolf's head, taking a threatening stance. Amaterasu stiffened slightly, but otherwise did not move.

"You're _blind_," Issun said for the thousandth time. I walked over to Amaterasu, and scooped Issun up in my hand. He was surprisingly much larger than I first thought, covering half of my palm while standing.

"Oh really…?" I retorted, wrapping my fingers around the poncle's tiny body. He let out a gasp for air. Good, that meant I was crushing him.

"Put. Me. DOWN!" He screamed. I sighed and released my grip on the poncle, allowing him to drop. Issun landed face first on Amaterasu's head. The wolf cocked her head slightly, facing me. I could just feel the hateful aura emitting from her long form. And if I had eyesight, I would probably be receiving a cruel glare from her as well.

_If you really aren't like normal demons, then you best behave yourself, child. That includes showing respect for my friend and me, _Amaterasu lectured with a hint of disdain in her voice. My mouth contorted into a grimace slightly and I narrowed my unseeing eyes. I place my hands on my hips.

"Very well," I sighed hesitantly. I then turned my body to face to duo and added: "But if I am going to show you two respect, it would mean a great deal to me if you returned the favor. I may not see like you two do, but I can assure you that I know how to handle myself, so don't treat me like some helpless child."

Issun let out a barely audible groan but Amaterasu swatted him away with a jerk of her head.

_I think that's a fair deal. Let's get going, shall we?_

_

* * *

_

**Rin**

"Lord Sesshomaru?" the young human asked suddenly. She was laying on the back of Ah-Un as the dragon glided through the swamp-like forest. Her eyes followed the dancing pattern of the tree-tops and the clouds above. The demon she had spoken to stopped and turned. His face remained expressionless though his eyes focused intently on the girl as she sat up.

"What is it?" Sesshomaru asked with his typical monotonous voice. Rin looked at the demon intently, then patted her stomach.

"I'm hungry, Lord Sesshomaru. Would it be alright if I went out to look for some food? I'll be really quick, I promise," Rin said, her dark eyes full of childish innocence. Sesshomaru closed his eyes and nodded, saying nothing. Rin smiled, letting out a giggle and leapt off the dragon and made her way through the trees. Suddenly his voice stopped her.

"Rin, wait," Sesshomaru commanded. The young human stopped in mid-run, turning to the demon. Hadn't he just allowed her to go find food?

"Yes, Lord Sesshomaru?" she asked, worry crossing over her young eyes. Sesshomaru watched her movements carefully.

"Don't run so fast, and also stay away from the lake. This territory is unfamiliar to you, so keep alert and return as soon as you find food. Do you understand?" Sesshomaru instructed. Both Rin and the toad demon, Jaken at Sesshomaru's feet gave the dog demon peculiar stares. Rin, it seemed, was never in familiar territory, and Sesshomaru never seemed to concerned about the girl's safety unless she called for help. So why now?

Rin shook the thought off and smiled to the demon lord, "Okay!" With that, the girl took off once again, searching for food, just as she began to disappear into the trees, she heard Jaken's voice.

"Tell me, My Lord, why have you suddenly grown so concerned for Rin's well-being? N-not that you've never cared for her-it's just-it's well…she knows how to take care of herself! She may be a useless human but-oh but she's not really useless Milord-!" Jaken began to voice the same thoughts that Rin was having, but did so in a way that he was now digging himself a hole that he couldn't climb out of. Rin stopped and listened in on the conversation, figuring Jaken was about to get hit again.

"Jaken," was all the dog demon said. The little toad jumped, letting out a terrified whine.

"Y-yes, M-Milord?" Jaken squeaked in response. Sesshomaru let out an agitated sigh—one of the few emotions he actually ever displayed.

"Don't be stupid, Jaken. You know as well as I do that Agata Forest can be a dangerous place if you haven't lived here long enough. And besides…with the rumors that have been going around lately, we just need to get out of this forest as soon as possible," Sesshomaru explained, slight concern hinting out of his voice. Rin covered her mouth. Concern was an emotion that Lord Sesshomaru never _ever _showed.

"Forgive me, Milord, but what rumors do you speak of?" Jaken asked. With _that_ the smacking sound of Sesshomaru's fist landing on the toad's head led to Jaken's yelp of momentary pain and a: "LORD SESSHOMARU!"

"Wasn't it _you_ who said that the staff has been acting strange as of late?" Sesshomaru asked sarcastically.

"Yes, Milord," Jaken replied oblivious to his masters annoyance. The toad held up the Staff of Two Head to explain, "The staff has been trembling lately! And rumor has it that the Sparrow Clan's princess was kidnapped! And yet when we went to see for ourselves, she had already been returned home!"

"Yes…" Sesshomaru trailed off into deep thought, "And the Tenseiga has also been acting up as well. Tell me, Jaken, have you ever heard of the Legend of Shiranui?"

"The white wolf who, alongside the warrior Nagi, slayed the evil demon Orochi! WAAH!" Jaken suddenly yelped and fell back. Rin peered out from behind the tree to see that Jaken had dropped his staff, and it was now vibrating violently. "The staff, Milord!"

"I see it…" Sesshomaru trailed off again, then grew silent. Rin turned around and continued on her way.

"I wonder what those two meant by that…" Rin asked herself after a while. She scratched the top of her head, what sort of rumors could Lord Sesshomaru be talking about? Surely it wasn't something she should worry about, or even Lord Sesshomaru himself, for that matter. To Rin, he was the strongest demon that ever lived.

Rin stopped suddenly. "There's some food!" the girl exclaimed, smiling brightly. She looked over to a large bud lying on the ground, the leaf-like petals had opened revealing a large amount of apples sitting in a pile. This must have been Rin's lucky day. She let out a shrill giggle and immediately began running towards the pile.

That was when she fell.

Rin ran towards the apples, but as she stepped on a pile of leaves, the ground below her disappeared and she fell ten feet down a large hole, trying to catch onto the tree roots to slow her descent, screaming the entire time. She then landed on her head, and lost consciousness.

* * *

**Issun**

Etsuko was holding onto Ammy for dear life as the wolf leapt from lily pad to lily pad. Apparently this demon could see a full 360 degrees around her, and in the air, but for whatever reason, she couldn't see past water, so each time Ammy leapt to her next lily pad, Etsuko would try to cover her mouth with one hand to keep from losing her lunch, but each time her fear overcame her and she would instead burry her head in the wolf's fur.

"C-can we take a break…?" Etsuko finally moaned. Her face by this point was a paper white with a green tint underneath. Her mouth hung open with her tongue sticking out as if she were gagging.

"What's wrong, pup? A little water too much to handle?" Issun suppressed a laugh. Etsuko glared at the cavern wall to their left and grabbed the poncle violently. Issun coughed as his airways suddenly began to close.

"Watch it, bug! Or water won't be the only thing _you_ have to worry about!" the demon threatened.

"Put…me…down…wench!" Issun gasped. He watched as Etsuko's glazed-over eyes suddenly ignite in flames of rage. She clutched the poncle tighter. Okay, he thought, insulting a demon holding him captive wasn't one of his best ideas…

"I'm sorry, what was that!" Etsuko pulled the poncle closer to her so he was right up against her face. She bared her teeth. Issun tried to cover his nose in anticipation for the horrible stench of dog breath, but was pleasantly surprised to find the sweet aroma of Konohana Blossoms surrounding the dog demon. An ironic contrast from the violent demeanor she was currently displaying towards the poncle.

_You two can get off me now, we're here_, Ammy interjected out of nowhere. The two jumped and turned towards the wolf. Etsuko glanced downward slightly and hesitantly placed a foot on the ground. Issun looked around and realized that Ammy was right. They were now standing on solid ground, specifically at the cave entrance that led to Agata Forest. Etsuko stood fully, still holding Issun in her hand, but not near as tightly as she had before. Issun was gasping as air once again filled his lungs.

"Agata Forest?" Etsuko suddenly asked, her blind eyes widened in bewilderment.

Issun turned his head up towards the demon girl, grimacing, "Yeah, toots. Look, this place may look pretty on the outside but just be careful. There have been a lot of demons hiding out in the—"

"WATCH OUT!" Etsuko suddenly screamed. She grabbed Ammy by the scruff and violently yanked her backwards. The wolf let out a howl and fell backwards. The ground she had once been standing on suddenly caved in, revealing a large hole.

As the three fell backwards Issun had been released of Etsuko's grip and fell to the ground. Ammy was laying on her back, her feet sticking up. Etsuko was laying on her side, her hand still gripping the wolf's fur. She was the first to sit up.

"Sorry, Amaterasu," She said, panting from her recent panic attack. Ammy lifted her head slightly, trying to examine the pothole past her.

Issun then stood and hopped towards the hole, examining it. He let out a whistle, "That thing sure is deep."

"It's not the only one either. There have to be at least ten more between here and the Deep Abyss," Etsuko explained. Ammy looked up at the demon.

_You can really see all of them?_ She asked. Etsuko nodded her head in response.

"Yeah, there are two of them not five feet ahead of us. Just be sure to avoid any and all piles of leaves or grass that isn't planted in the ground. If you can't see dirt, then don't walk on it," she said. Issun's eyes widened and looked to where Etsuko was now pointing. Sure enough, there was a large pile of leaves just ahead of the three. He looked down at the rocky bottom at his feet. Good thing there was a trail that led through the forest…

_What do you think could have caused these traps?_ Ammy asked. Etsuko shrugged.

"If I were to guess, I might have to say a young boy and his dog," she said. Etsuko then lifted her finger and, without turning her head, pointed to the right, "I can sense them roughly 200 yards away from us in that direction. The dog is currently digging a hole and the boy is gathering up leaves and twigs to fill it."

"Kokari and Ume?" Issun offered. Etsuko nodded her head but said nothing. Issun crossed his arms and sighed, "Those two must be hunting. I just hope they don't end up falling for one of their own traps."

_Issun, I doubt that will happen_, Ammy rolled her eyes. Issun smirked to himself. Yeah, but it would be real funny if they did.

The three continued forward, heading to the bridge that linked Agata Forest and Taka Pass. Issun hopped up on Etsuko's shoulder. This demon was starting to intrigue him.

The minute the poncle sat down, Etsuko warned, "I swear, if you so much as think of hiding in my kimono, you will die."

"Pff! As if," Issun tossed the threat aside. He glanced down at the opening of her dress, his face grew hot. He then climbed up the demon's dark brown locks and perched himself on the top of her head, just to be safe. The view was better from up there anyway.

_So how is it that you see, young demon?_ Ammy asked Etsuko after a while. Etsuko stopped for a moment. Issun thought about the wolf's question for a moment. He then hung onto the roots of Etsuko's bangs, hanging his head upside down so he was looking into her eyes. Issun quickly realized how feeble his attempt was as her golden eyes made no effort to recognize the poncle hanging upside in her face.

"Yeah, how do you see, Pup?" He asked. Etsuko blew air from her mouth, swinging Issun backwards and up, causing him to fall back on the top of her head with a thud.

"Well, I'm kind of like a bat, in a sense," she began, "you know how they send out vibrations through their screeches and the vibrations come back to them and it helps them paint a picture of their surroundings depending on how long the vibrations come back? That's kind of like what I do. I'm constantly sending out short bursts of my energy from the pressure points on my body. I also sense the vibrations on the ground with my feet. For instance, I can tell Amaterasu is at my left and slightly ahead of me because of the way her paws are pressing against the ground in comparison to me."

"Sweet, so you really do have 360 vision," Issun said. He leaned back on Etsuko's head, placing his arms behind his head like a pillow.

"Yeah, but it has its limitations," Etsuko said quietly, "My sight on the ground is pretty decent, but it's not like I can see what anything _looks like_ I can only just be _aware_ of what happens to be around me. And my aerial vision is essentially quite terrible. Because I'm still learning how to release my energy effectively, it can take a long time for me to actually figure out what might be above me, and if I'm in a battle—well, you know how well that would probably go if my opponent was an aerial fighter. I can release quicker and shorter bursts of energy so I can see how my opponent might be moving, but I still can't control it that well, so the image I get in my mind might come out really blurry, and I might use all the energy I need to fight just to figure out what I'm up against."

"Hey Toots, I thought you said we wouldn't have to worry about you in a fight," Issun said, sending a glare down to his ride.

Etsuko let out a slight growl, "You don't. Those are just my limitations. What, do you think I'm too stupid to find a way to work around them?"

"Then how do you work around them…?" Issun asked somewhat rhetorically. He was starting to get annoyed with Etsuko.

"You'll figure out soon enough. Just remember to cover your ears if we ever fight something that can fly," Etsuko said. She had caught the poncle's attention once more at that. Issun sat up and looked back down at Etsuko again. A mischievous smile crossed over her features. She knew something.

"Why?" Issun asked. Etsuko giggled slightly.

"It's like I said before, I'm sort of like a bat in a way. My dad even used to call me his little bat demon every now and then because of it," the demon explained.

_So are you half bat demon then?_ Ammy asked. Etsuko jumped slightly, giving off a puzzled expression. Ammy continued, _Bat demons are generally blind as well, are they not? And you said that you see like a bat. _

At that, Etsuko erupted into a fit of laughter, "Oh, god no! My dad just liked to tease me a lot, that's all! True, I developed my way of seeing from watching the bat demon tribe off of Ryoshima Coast, but I'm certainly _not _a bat demon by any means!"

_Then what are you?_ Ammy asked. The seriousness of her question surprised Etsuko. The demon girl closed her eyes.

"Well, as I said before, my father was a dog demon and my mother…" Etsuko paused, thinking, "I'm not sure what my mother was, actually. She never liked to talk about her past. I'm not even sure my dad knew that much about her regarding her life before they met. If one thing is certain it's that she wasn't a dog demon. And she was for sure not a bat demon either."

_If you don't mind my prodding Etsuko,_ Ammy began.

"What happened to your parents?" Issun finished the question for the wolf. He hopped off Etsuko's head and onto Ammy's. The demon girl closed her eyes and clenched her jaw; the expression that washed over Etsuko's face was enough to make Issun's stomach flop. It was one of sadness, despair, and utter pain. Etsuko clenched a hand in to a fist and placed the other one over her heart, gripping the cloth of her kimono tightly.

"They're dead," was all that she could manage. Etsuko opened her eyes. Tears hung gently at the corners of them, and the look in her eye seemed that she was envisioning a terrible nightmare that would haunt her forever.

* * *

**Sesshomaru**

Was it just him, or did Jaken grow to be more stupid with each passing day? That stupid frog should know better than to mention the name of the eight-headed snake. That name was not something to be trifled with, not even by Sesshomaru himself. Even the Staff of Two Heads and the Tenseiga were quaking in fear at the sound of its name.

"I see it…" Sesshomaru muttered at his servant's scream. Ah-Un watched the two's exchange with a confused expression and sat down as if he figured they would remain in the same spot for a period of time. The Tenseiga at the demon's side also began to tremble, emitting sharp pulses here and there.

Sesshomaru placed a hand on the sword's hilt in an attempt to silence it, but Tenseiga's shaking grew even more unsettled. It was then when the Staff of Two Heads suddenly bolted up right so quickly the staff's bottom sprang. The Lady's head suddenly let out a screech of terror and the Old Man's head began to sob in fear.

_That_ was something Sesshomaru had not seen before.

"Why is it doing this, Milord!" Jaken asked, trying to regain control over the terrified artifact. Sesshomaru watched the staff's movements for a moment. He had absolutely no idea, but he did have a feeling it was tied to the eight-headed serpent demon.

"Perhaps the rumors are true after all," Sesshomaru offered, disgust dripping off his teeth as he spoke.

"But what rumors!" Jaken asked as he finally calmed the staff down, gripping it firmly in his reptilian fingers. The question was immediately answered by a rock impaling the toad's small head, knocking him to the ground.

"Do you ever pay attention?" Sesshomaru asked Jaken in a threateningly calm voice. Jaken sat up, rubbing the bump forming on his head.

"A-Aye, Milord, I just don't understand what you mean by rumors? I certainly haven't heard any. And you keep speaking of the story of Shiranui! Isn't that supposed to be a folktale?" Jaken said. The dog demon turned away from Jaken and placed a clawed-tipped finger against his forehead. Oh, the migraines Jaken could cause…

"The rumors about the demon Orochi, you idiot," Sesshomaru stated bluntly. A low growl emitted from his throat. Just saying that demon's name was enough to make his skin crawl. Him, Sesshomaru, lord of the Western Lands. It was repulsive.

"But you don't honestly think that is actually true, do you!" Jaken asked, beads of sweat visibly appeared on his face.

"Well for starters, the scent of demon corpses that has been littering Nippon for the past few weeks has been enough to gag me, wouldn't you say, Jaken?" Sesshomaru offered. Jaken thought about this.

"Aye, Milord, the scent that has come here—in Shinshu Field especially—has been a bit unsettling, especially that this area of your domain has been protected by the Wood Sprite Sakuya for a century and that no demon is supposed to penetrate the barrier that's put out by her Guardian Saplings, but—"

"And on the same day the staff and Tenseiga started acting strangely, Sakuya mysteriously went silent, and her presence in Nippon vanished, and almost all of her Saplings withered, breaking down the barrier that kept demons away. Am I wrong?"

"N-no, Milord, but—"

"And to go even farther with these suspicions, a barrier appeared at the entrance to the Moon Cave in Shinshu field—the very place where Orochi's corpse was supposed to be sealed under the sword 'Tsukiyomi', the Sparrow Clan's daughter disappeared, the Divine Wind in Taka Pass froze, a plague broke out in Sei-an City, and there have been what humans like to call 'Cursed Zones' appearing everywhere."

"Couldn't that be coincidence?"

"Possibly, but I highly doubt it. These incidences have been happening all at the same time, and someone, or rather, something is causing it." Sesshomaru gritted his teeth, "Whatever it is, it's power must be enormous."

"Naraku perhaps?" Jaken offered. The expression on his face made it obvious he was trying to dismiss the conversation. Sesshomaru grimaced slightly. It wasn't like he wanted to speak of the subject either, but for whatever reason, the demon felt he had to do everything in his power to stop this mysterious foe. Why? He couldn't say.

"I doubt Naraku has that kind of power," was all Sesshomaru had to say. The two remained silent for a moment before Jaken spoke up again.

"But how do you think this has anything to do with the Legend of Orochi? Sure, humans have been mentioning that for the past week or so, but do you really think that the snake of legend could rise from the dead? If he even existed at all?" Jaken asked. Sesshomaru shrugged slightly.

"I don't know, Jaken. The talk the humans have been generating about Orochi as of late is too common to be considered coincidence. That's why—" Sesshomaru stopped. A peculiar scent caught his nose, one of flowers…and a lot of glitter. The dog demon turned his head upwards to find a blonde-haired man in tall sandals, a purple and pink kimono, and a flute in hand watching him intently. Sesshomaru narrowed his golden eyes and said, "Tao Master Waka, just who I was looking for."

"Well, if it isn't Sesshomaru, Lord of the Western Lands. And here I thought you had died. How foolish of me," Waka giggled to himself and leapt off the tree branch he stood on, using the large flaps that covered his hair to help guide him gently to the ground, "I see you've noticed the changes here in Nippon. But before we can begin, I believe that little human girl you're traveling with is in danger."

* * *

**Etsuko**

I gripped my head and let out a growl. The fire, the screams, the blood, _that voice_. They all seemed to be bombarding me in my head, awakening from their slumbers within the depths of my mind. I tried to push the memory away, but it just kept coming back.

"Yo, Pup, you okay?" Issun asked. He and Amaterasu had been silent for a long time. They had let me be as we made our way through Agata Forest, allowing me to suffer quietly from the horror that was the day my parents died. It was one of the few occasions I was thankful to be blind—burned and bloodied corpses couldn't haunt me because I had no idea what they looked like.

It was the strange sound that freed me from my mental prison. The soft, but very distinct sounds of leaves thrashing on the ground in the distance. I stopped.

"Did you guys hear that?" I asked. Amaterasu stopped as well, her ears flickered slightly. We were too far away from whatever the sound was coming from, but I could definitely make out a soft scream, followed by a _thud._ I sent out a burst of energy, trying to find the source of the noise. It kept bouncing and bouncing like normal when finally—

A girl! She must have fallen into one of the potholes!

I took off running with Amaterasu at my haunches.

_Etsuko! Did you find something? What's the matter?_ Amaterasu asked. I didn't answer. I just kept pressing forward.

I ran passed a group of trees and found myself in a clearing, looking over the Deep Abyss. I stopped. She had to be here somewhere…

I walked around, I couldn't hear any sound. Could the fall have killed her?

It was then when I found the hole. I walked up to its edge, feeling down the length of the hole. A small young girl was lying down at the bottom, unconscious, but from the feel of it, she was still breathing, but the bump on her forehead suggested she had hit her head pretty hard when she fell.

Amaterasu finally caught up with me. She and Issun peered down the hole.

"Is that a kid?" Issun asked in disbelief. I nodded feebly.

_Oh no, she must've fallen in one of Kokari's traps_, Amaterasu decided. I sighed. How observational.

"You think she's dead?" Issun asked.

"No," I said, "She's still breathing, Dumbass."

"How can you tell!" Issun yelled, bouncing furiously on top of Amaterasu's head. I shot a hateful stare, hoping it was aimed at the bug. I must have been because Issun then stopped bouncing and crossed his arms, silent. The bug learned quickly.

Without thinking, I leapt to the bottom of the hole. Amaterasu and Issun both jumped.

_What are you doing, child! _Amaterasu asked. Wasn't it obvious? I thought to myself, but I said nothing. I wasn't entirely in the mood for talking. As my feet hit the bottom, I immediately knelt down and picked up the girl tenderly in my arms. She moaned slightly as I did. Good, so she wasn't completely out of it after all.

"Hey, wake up," I said quietly, shaking her shoulder gently. The girl moaned again and tried to sit up.

"What…happened?" She muttered. I smiled in relief. So she wasn't going to die after all! Good news!

"You fell down a hole," I explained, "Are you hurt anywhere?"

The girl sat upright, trying to stand. She gripped her head. "My head hurts," she whined. She made a sniffling noise as if she were crying. I placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry, we'll get you some help," I said gently. The girl nodded her head and leaned against me. I wrapped my arms around her and together we leapt out of the hole. I was met by an agitated god and an even angrier bug.

"What the hell is this!" He demanded. I raised an eyebrow, holding the half conscious girl in my arms.

"What?" I asked.

"Demons are supposed to _eat_ humans! Why did you save her!" Issun by now had crossed his tiny arms and was hopping up and down on Amaterasu's head.

"Did you want me to let her die!" I retorted, frowning.

"No! But do you want to cause us even more trouble!" Issun mimicked, "It's bad enough we have to babysit a _blind demon._ But now you want us to take care of some kid!"

I tensed up. Did he just call me blind? _Again!_ Haven't we already been through this?

"Issun…" I began, hate dripped off my fangs like venom.

_She isn't blind_, Amaterasu finished for me. Issun grew silent, but I could tell he was still infuriated.

"Look, her parents are probably worried sick by now. They can't be far, I mean, we're in Agata Forest for gods' sake. I just want to help her find them, and we'll be on our way," I explained. The girl turned her head up to me, curiously.

"I don't have parents…" she mumbled. I jumped, startled at her comment. I probably shouldn't have been, considering I knew where she was coming from, but she was just so young, and a human too…

"Do you mean to say you're all by yourself?" I asked, concerned. Okay, maybe I didn't feel like babysitting, but I wasn't going to let the poor kid wander all alone.

Issun must have sensed what I was thinking because he almost instantly shouted, "Absolutely not!"

I knelt down, allowing the girl to stand on her own. She still clung to my kimono.

"Don't worry though, I can take care of myself, and I'm not completely alone! I'm traveling with my friends. You see, they're demons so they don't eat people food, and so I went to look for something for myself, but that's when I slipped and fell in that hole," she explained. Boy, for an orphan girl who nearly got killed, this kid sure liked to talk. Wait…did she say demons?

"Oh," I said, somewhat surprised, "Well, do you know where they are?"

The girl looked around, she then shook her head, "I did…but not anymore…"

"Okay, this should be an easy fix…" I said, gripping my hand to my head. Issun's annoyance only grew tenfold.

"I _really_ hope that wasn't sarcasm," Issun groaned. I rolled my eyes. At least, I tried to.

"Well, good. Because it _really_ wasn't," I mimicked, "If you two could do me a favor, go find Kiba and trade him some demon fangs for medicinal herbs. We need to take care of the swelling on this kid's head so it doesn't cause her trouble." I pulled out some blue fangs stringed together on a necklace and handed it to Amaterasu, who took it in her mouth.

"What's the magic word?" Issun asked.

I really hoped he was joking but just in case I added, "Please?"

"Good doggy! Let's go, Ammy!" Issun motioned for Amaterasu to head uphill and back into the trees.

As the wolf turned she said to Issun _You can be way to eccentric sometimes, you know that?_

I gulped down a laugh and turned my attention back to the girl.

"What's your name?" I asked her. The girl circled around me, hopping from one foot to the other. I had to admit, she was a cute kid. A lot like me when I was little. Except she was human and she could…um…see.

"I'm Rin," the girl said, holding out her hand. I smiled taking it as we shook, "what's yours?"

"Etsuko," I answered, "So you get along with demons?"

"Oh yeah!" Rin said. Then she began to go on and on about this and that, and what's his face who always got hit in the head by so-and-so and some evil demon who tried to take her, but then this happened and that happened, and something about wolves. I wasn't really paying attention. I was too busy feeling around her arms and legs for any scratches or bruising, and then brushing the bangs out of her face to examine the large bump on her head. It was pretty swollen, but it didn't look that bad. The swelling would probably go down by itself, but the medicinal herbs could still be of help. Man, was this kid lucky.

"—and that's when I remember Lord—" Rin stopped suddenly. Ironically that was about the same time I finally started paying attention to her ramblings. Lord who? I shook the thought off. Something about this mysterious "Lord So-and-so" was starting to sound familiar to me. I was sure that if I had actually paid attention, I would've caught his name, but alas, I was unsuccessful. I turned my head to where Rin was looking.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Did you hear that?" Rin asked me. I thought for a moment, focusing on any new sounds. Small, frantic steps were running wildly towards us, but kept veering off to the right and left. They were too far away to make out who the owner was, but it was definitely something reptilian. No, amphibian. No…a demon maybe? I tensed.

I recognized these footsteps.

"_Riiiiin!"_ a shreaky voice called out.

Rin and I both gasped and said simultaneously, "Jaken!"

No freaking way. Jaken was alive! Jaken! Of all demons! That stupid toad was supposed to have died in the fire years ago! My mother died in that fire. My _father_ of all people died in that fire, and you're telling me, that _Jaken_, that useless, freaking _toad_ was still alive!

"God dammit!" I shouted to myself, punching a fist into the ground. Rin didn't seem to notice as she stood and ran towards Jaken, who magically managed to appear from the other side of the trees. My stomach flopped violently. That stupid Jaken couldn't possibly be alive. He must've been some bizarre form of cockroach.

**

* * *

**

Rin

Rin ran up to greet Master Jaken with a hug, but the toad demon merely squawked and jumped back.

"Get off me, you foolish girl! I thought that stupid prophet said you were in trouble!" Jaken shoved Rin backwards, shaking his fist at her. Rin blinked.

"I was in trouble, Master Jaken. I fell down a hole and hit my head!" Rin explained, smiling, she pointed to the large bump on her head. Jaken screamed.

"Oh NO! This is terrible! Lord Sesshomaru's gonna have my head! Oh-! Wait…if you fell down a hole, how did you get back up?" Jaken asked, eyeing Rin curiously with his large yellow eyes. Rin smiled.

"She saved me-!" Rin turned and pointed to her new friend, but as she looked, the beautiful demon girl who had once knelt by Rin's side was nowhere to be seen. Rin frowned, "She's gone…"

"Whose gone! Who saved you! Tell me this instant!" Jaken ordered, his patience growing shorter and shorter. The toad demon began to erupt in one of his jabbering fits—the kind where he paced around complaining about what a fool Rin was and how Lord Sesshomaru was going to kill him. Rin shook her head and went back to answer the demon's initial question.

"Etsuko did," Rin explained. Jaken stopped mid rant and fell backwards.

"WHAT!" Jaken screamed. Rin knelt to the ground and cocked her head to the side. Was there something wrong with Etsuko? Or maybe Jaken just wasn't really paying attention to what Rin had said. The girl decided the reason behind Jaken's scream was the latter and spoke again.

"Etsuko saved me," Rin explained, "She pulled me out of the hole and saved me. She had some friends that went to go get me some medicinal herbs for the bump on my head, but she just disappeared." Rin looked around to see if Etsuko had reappeared. It was as if she never existed. Rin turned back to find Jaken glaring at her. Rin jumped, bawling her hands into fists, "I'm not lying! I swear!" Rin promised.

"Rin…are you sure the girl's name was Etsuko…?" Jaken asked, his voice was low and quiet. A strange look glazed over his eyes. Rin frowned.

"That's what she told me. Why? Is something wrong?" Rin asked.

* * *

**Etsuko**

I gritted my teeth, watching the exchange between Rin and Jaken from the trees above, trying to stay out of sight. There was no way that Jaken was the demon Rin was traveling with! Jaken _hated_ humans! Or, at least he hated kids…particularly Etsuko…so why was a human girl with him!

"Hey Etsuko!" Issun's voice called out from behind me, he was still far enough away to be out of Rin and Jaken's sight, but I turned to where they were coming from. Issun continued, "We got the herbs!"

I leapt out of the tree and ran to meet the two half way. That way, I could out of Jaken's sight. It's not that I was afraid he'd kill me…I just didn't want that stupid toad to bring back unwanted memories that already haunted me enough as it was.

"Hey! There you are!" Issun said as Amaterasu stopped. She gripped a back full of medicinal herbs in her mouth, her tail wagged rapidly. Issun peered his head around me, "Where's the kid?"

"She's safe now," I said in a low voice, my mouth turned into a frown and I blinked back tears. I could feel the prison chains coiling themselves around me once more, "It seems we won't be needing the herbs after all."

"What!" Issun barked, "You mean after all that trouble we went through to get these! Oh hell no!"

"I'm sorry, Issun," I said, closing my eyes, "Is it okay if we just leave this place? I'm getting a bad feeling about this."

Issun let out a sound as if he were beginning to protest, but Amaterasu cut him off, _Etsuko's right, Issun. We need to get to the capital anyway. We can't afford to get sidetracked anymore. _

"But she-! Ugh, fine," Issun grumbled. The wolf pulled ahead of me, leading us to Taka Pass. I remained silent the rest of the time, suffering in the prison that would forever haunt me in my memories.

* * *

**Rin**

"Rin, what does this Etsuko look like?" Jaken asked. Rin sighed. He didn't answer her question. What was wrong with Etsuko?

Sighing, Rin continued to explain, "Well, she has long dark hair, she wears a pink kimono, her eyes are a gold color like Lord Sesshomaru's, but I can't really tell if she's looking at me or not. She might be blind."

"Does she happen to have markings on her face like Lord Sesshomaru's?" Jaken asked. Rin thought for a moment.

"Yeah, she does! But what does that have to do with-?" Rin paused and looked up to find Lord Sesshomaru standing behind Jaken. Behind him was a strange looking man with long blonde hair pulled behind a helmet type thing with cloth flaps attached.

"There you are," Sesshomaru said, his voice sounded almost…sad?

"L-Lord Sesshomaru! How long have you-!" Jaken started, staring up at the dog demon. Sesshomaru stepped from behind Jaken and moved to the place where Etsuko once stood. Rin watched as Lord Sesshomaru looked up, sniffing the air. The blonde-haired man crossed his arms and laughed.

"Ah, little Etsu? And here, I thought she was dead too! What a nice surprise!" he said. Sesshomaru glared back a the man with a nasty look in his eyes.

"She _is_ dead, Waka. Don't be ridiculous," Lord Sesshomaru said with a hateful tone that made Rin tremble slightly. She had never seen Lord Sesshomaru look so angry before.

"Right…so what was this you wished to speak with me about, Sesshomaru?" This 'Waka' said, brushing the topic off.

"It doesn't matter," Sesshomaru said, walking away. Waka raised an eyebrow.

"Are you sure? Earlier you seemed so adamant about it. But now, you seem like you don't even care. Does this have to do with the memory of little Etsuko that your human friend unintentionally resurfaced?" Waka asked. Jaken jumped and let out a yelp, staring at Waka in terror. Sesshomaru stopped. The dog demon's form visibly tensed. Rin looked at the three in front of her, completely horrified and confused at the conversation being exchanged. Now she was curious, who was Etsuko?

"Waka! Are you crazy! Do you want Lord Sesshomaru to rip your head off!" Jaken scolded. Waka stepped over the toad like he was a bug and made his way over to Sesshomaru.

"I'll tell you this much, Sesshomaru," Waka began, "Orochi has already been taken care of since his revival a few weeks ago, but a greater threat still lingers. Head to Sei-an City, and you'll find your answers there. Though I must warn you, you won't be the only one aiming to go there. I believe your half-brother might be heading in that same direction as well. That Naraku guy is such a pest, isn't he?"

Rin was for sure Sesshomaru would say something at the mention of Lord Inuyasha, but instead he said, "Which answers do you speak of?"

Waka shrugged, "It depends, really. If you seek to find out what's causing all this trouble in your territory, then that answer should reveal itself rather quickly. But if you look to find…other answers, and I think you know which ones I mean, you'll have to do some poking and prodding. I believe you will face a great truth that will also be hard to accept, but do not hesitate, the future looks grim if you do not accept your fate, Sesshomaru of the Western Lands. I hope you found my answer a lot less cryptic than normal, I know how much you hate that. Au revior!"

And with that, Waka disappeared in a cloud of glitter.

The group remained silent for a long time. Sesshomaru, surprisingly was the first to speak.

"Let's move," he said. Rin and Jaken both nodded, following the dog demon. Rin surprisingly found herself walking much farther behind Sesshomaru than normal. Jaken noticed this and stopped to wait. Sesshomaru continued forward.

"Rin, why are you walking so slowly?" Jaken asked in a whisper. Rin looked up to see how far away Lord Sesshomaru was. She figured he was out of earshot.

"Master Jaken, why did Lord Sesshomaru get so upset today?" Rin asked as quietly as she could. She couldn't tell but she thought she saw Sesshomaru flinch. But he showed no signs of overhearing her question.

"You foolish girl!" Jaken said in a hoarse whisper, "You should know better than to question Lord Sesshomaru's dignity!"

"I'm not questioning his dignity," Rin whispered, "I just want to know why he seemed angry."

"Eh…it's a long story…" Jaken said. His shoulders sagged and he looked down. In every sense of the word, Master Jaken suddenly looked pitiful.

"Well, if it's such a long story, could you at least tell me who Etsuko is?" Rin asked. Maybe if she could figure out who her mysterious savior was, Rin could figure out what was wrong with Lord Sesshomaru! And then she would know how to make him happy again!

Jaken jumped at her question, "You want to know what!" He screeched in a whisper. Unbeknownst to both Rin and Jaken, the dog demon had overheard their conversation and had now stopped.

"Who is Etsuko? She seems really important for some reason," Rin said. Jaken turned to face Rin, he was now walking backwards.

"Well, erm, yes, but you see—"

"Then who is she?" Rin glared at Jaken. There was something they were keeping from her, and she didn't like it.

"Well Etsuko is Lord—Lord Sesshomaru!" Jaken ran into Sesshomaru's leg and fell. The toad demon was now looking up to his master in fear. Rin also looked at Lord Sesshomaru as well. The look in the demon's eyes was bewildering to the girl. He was glaring down at Jaken, but just didn't seem to have the heart to be angry or annoyed with the toad. He just seemed sad. Sesshomaru then looked up at Rin with the most sincere look on his face that it was almost scary. Sesshomaru turned away.

"She is dead now. That's the only thing you need to know."


	5. Chapter 4

Hey guys! Sorry it's been so long since I've updated this. Anyway, hopefully I made it up to you with this LOOOOOONG chapter! :) Anyway, hope you like.

ENJOI

* * *

**Etsuko**

"You're all alone,"_ The evil man says. His voice is inside my head. I am surrounded by darkness, _"They are all dead. It's your fault."

_It's my fault. I am not dead. I should be. I open my eyes. It is still dark. I sit up. I still cannot see. I could never see. Smoke lingers in the air. The fire is gone. My house is gone. My parents are gone. I am alone. I am alive. I should not be alive. _

"DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAD!"

I woke up to the sounds of my own screams. I sat up, crying, disoriented. I covered my face in my hands, blindly unaware of my surroundings. It wasn't until Issun spoke that I could remember where I was. "Where are they!" I screamed, "Where did they go!"

"Where did who go? What do you mean?" Issun's voice asked. I leaned over and gripped Amaterasu's shoulders tightly, approaching near hysterics.

"WHERE ARE MY PARENTS! WHERE DID THAT MAN TAKE THEM!" I screamed so loud my voice cracked. Both Issun and Amaterasu jumped in fear. I curled up into a ball, clenching my head with my hands, writhing in pain. "GET OUT OF MY HEAD! WHY DID YOU KILL THEM!"

"Etsuko! Get a grip!" The bug shouted. I screamed again, startled. I then froze, realizing where I was, what had happened hours before. I slowly unlaced my fingers from their entanglement in front of my eyes, regaining my awareness of what lay around me. Amaterasu and Issun both stood over me, unmoving, as if they weren't sure what I was going to do next. My body and kimono were drenched in cold sweat. I shivered.

What…happened…?" I managed to croak. The two in front of me remained silent for a long moment.

"You…were having a nightmare, I think," Issun finally said, his voice low. I nodded my head slightly. Well, that was a dumb question to ask. I rubbed my nose on the sleeve of my kimono and sniffled, the evil man's voice still haunting me in my ear.

"_You're all alone. They are all dead. It's your fault." _I shivered, his words still clear as day in my head. He had to be wrong. He was the one who killed my parents, not me! Why would it be my fault! I gulped hard. Deep down, I had a horrible feeling that he was right. It _was_ my fault. I was such a helpless demon. And a cursed one at that.

_Are you alright, Etsuko?_ Amaterasu asked, she let out a slight whimper of concern, lowering her head. I placed my hand on her forehead, in between her ears, clenching her fur like a security blanket.

"I think so," I said. That was a total lie. There was no way I could feel okay. Not right now.

"So…what the hell happened to you?" Issun suddenly asked, "I mean, whatever you were dreaming, you kept calling for your parents. Did something…bad happen to them?"

I jumped at the question. I opened my mouth to answer, but clamped it shut again at the horrible memories drifting back into my mind. Instead I merely nodded, my body shaking violently. I hugged myself tightly, rocking back and forth. All I wanted was to disappear.

* * *

**Issun**

Terror. Pure, horrifying, terror. That was the expression on Etsuko's face when she woke up screaming in the middle of the night. At first, her nightmare came as an annoyance to the poncle. All she did was wake him up with her jerking around and her mumbling in her sleep, but then those mumbles turned to cries, and then those cries turned to blood-curdling screams, until she finally woke up, sobbing for her parents. And now, she was holding herself like a baby, tears streaming down her face.

"Etsuko…" Issun started to say, but the words lost him. At first, he wanted to simply yell at the demon to get a grip, but she seemed too terrified and fragile to accept his harsh words without falling apart.

Something bad must've happened to her parents. Something horrible. Issun shivered, thinking back to his childhood. He hadn't known his father, and his mother died of illness at a young age, leaving him and his elder sister to be raised by his grandfather, Ishaku. Issun had always sort of pitied himself for his situation…but looking at Etsuko that very moment…any pity he had once felt for himself he instantly regretted. A part of him even wanted to hold the demon, to tell her it would be alright. Surprised at such a feeling, Issun looked away from the crying girl, his face flushed. What was this feeling inside him?

Ammy eyed Issun sadly, obviously empathetic towards the demon. The god then curled up behind Etsuko, acting as a pillow for the girl to rest her head. Etsuko gladly took Ammy's offer, slowly crying herself back to sleep.

* * *

**Sesshomaru**

Etsuko…that was definitely a name he hadn't heard in a long time. But why must it come up now? Etsuko was dead. His Tenseiga couldn't save the demon, which was why he had ultimately deemed the sword useless. But then it was able to save Rin. So why?

Sesshomaru gritted his teeth, cursing under his breath. Dammit. Why Etsuko? Why Rin? Why him?

The demon then stopped, quickly attempting to control his thoughts, climbing out of the emotional chaos that had suddenly surrounded him in an unfamiliar way. Orochi or no Orochi, something was going on. Something, Sesshomaru thought, had Naraku's scent spilled all over it. Even if he was unrelated to the happenings in Nippon, the vile half-demon wouldn't waste any time to take advantage of the chaos. He thought back to the day Etsuko died. Somehow he knew Naraku was tied to that too, and he wouldn't have put it passed Naraku to be the master mind behind such an infamous day. If such a fact were true, then Sesshomaru would have more than pride on the line for killing the monster. And he would do more than just kill him too.

But still, he couldn't be certain.

But there were two people who probably could.

Waka, more than likely wouldn't give away such a direct answer, and in ways he probably hinted to the dog demon's current line of thinking in his words.

"_Head to Sei-an City, you will find the answers you seek there…"_

Sesshomaru sighed. For now, all he could do was follow the prophet's advice, hoping the Human Capital would give way to answers. But even so, Waka's mentioning of a required "poking and prodding" might lead Sesshomaru elsewhere.

Which led to the second person he could ask.

Granted, he had rarely spoken to the women since…that day, and he doubted he could ask her directly the questions he had without a lashing out or two from the demon. But that didn't change the fact that she was one of Naraku's incarnations, a fact that she had neglected to tell him when he should have known before they were forced to face each other in combat as they had recently, and probably would've explained the reasons for that day happening as it did, and it could've easily accounted for the blindness of a certain demon—an imparity that had never existed before. For that, Sesshomaru was still angry.

The least Kagura could do by this point was give him some answers.

* * *

**Etsuko**

Good night's rest, my ass! I dragged my feet along the sand as we wandered around Ryoshima Coast. To an extent the warm, sifting sand felt calming against my tattered bear feet, though the constant movement of the ground beneath me made it harder to depict my surroundings. On the other hand, I was in such a pissy mood from several nights of no sleep and nightmares I frankly didn't give a damn and wanted to collapse on the ground right there.

"Hey, Pup! Hurry up, would ya!" Issun barked ahead of me. I narrowed my eyes and gave him the finger, hearing a low growl come from the bug in response.

"I'm doing the damn best I can here, so shut your trap, Bug!" I snarled. Issun hopped off of Amaterasu's head and made his way over to my feet.

"Listen, bitch," the artist warned, "I haven't been sleeping to well myself either, and if you're gonna do nothing but gripe and moan, then you can just get the hell out of here while you still can, 'cause once we get into that city I doubt there will be another chance for that! We have a world to save and I don't wanna have to babysit a helpless demon who cries herself to sleep like a baby because she can't handle slaying a few monsters!"

At that I grew silent. My heart slowly began to sink. Issun's words were harsh, but deep down, though I didn't want to believe it, I had a feeling he was right. And for that, I felt guilty. For a moment, I faltered. Did I really want to join Amaterasu and Issun on this journey?

_Issun_,_ that's enough!_ Amaterasu barked, lowering her posture slightly, _Ever since she's joined us you've done nothing but patronize her, so for the gods' sake just give her a chance. And I mean it literally when I say for the gods' sake!_

At that, Issun stopped bouncing, turning his head towards the wolf in surprise. I did as well. There was a stillness in the air that seemed almost foreign. I inhaled it with a mix of wonderment and utter confusion. Did…did a god just vouch for me!

_Make no mistake, Etsuko, _Amaterasu spoke through the silence once more as if to read my very thoughts, _you are a demon, and your kind has brought forth an evil never seen before in this land. But even so, I will not turn a blind eye to a pure soul that wishes to do good for this world. For that reason and that reason alone, I shall place my vote in your favor. That does not mean I trust you just yet. My trust is still something you have yet to gain. So keep that in mind. _

I nodded my head feebly and croaked, "Understood, ma'am." With that I bowed to her slightly. The god nodded her head.

_Very good, _she said, _now, we best move forward. The city draws near and I sense a vile aura nearby._ I nodded and ran to walk by her side, Issun quietly followed and leapt onto my shoulder, keeping his head bowed low. I said nothing, not daring to start another argument.

After a moment, I could sense what Amaterasu was talking about. A faint stench wafted in my nose that was so well blended with the sea air I barely noticed it, but even so, the scent was enough to make my stomach turn. It was vile, as the god said, but I also noticed a rather…sickly smell to it. Like something old that hadn't been cleaned in ages, and now crawled with some sort of fungus, or food that had long since spoiled. I began breathing through my mouth at that instant. As we made our way to the city, the scent grew more sickly and even more defined, until it was bombarding every sense in my body and wrapping around me in a thick fog. It took every ounce of will-power to keep from upchucking my breakfast.

"Oh my gods, what _is_ that!" Issun suddenly asked. I looked up as if to see something, but whatever it was that Issun spoke of, my senses rendered me oblivious to it. Amaterasu shook her head.

_It's some sort of mist…I've never seen anything like it before. It must be concentrated in the city. _Amaterasu answered. The then turned her head to Issun and me and said, _come on. The gates are just up ahead. _

* * *

**Kagome**

_My name is Kagome Higurashi, and I am just an ordinary school girl that lives in Tokyo, Japan,_ Kagome thought,_ who just so happens to be in the feudal era with a half-demon…_

These were the things Kagome often had to tell herself at times like this. And occasionally, she had to tell herself this almost too often. But in a moment when you are staring at a plagued city littered with the sick and dying through a mist that makes you yourself want to throw up just by breathing it, especially when the half-demon standing next to you keep saying this is all the work of some monster that supposedly is from ancient myths, such thoughts can become extremely reassuring.

She and her friends had been wandering through Sei-an city for half a day, and by this point, the priestess was beginning to feel the effects of the mist. She clutched onto her bow tightly, trying to see through the gaseous fog.

"You alright, Kagome?" the half-demon, Inuyasha barked. Kagome jumped slightly at the natural harshness of his voice, but as she turned to face him, his thick eyebrows raised slightly, and his sharp, golden eyes now softened behind his white locks, Kagome could see the concern that enveloped the half-demon. Kagome, in response, smiled and nodded.

"Yeah, just a little tired is all," Kagome said. Tired and sick, she thought. Behind her, the monk she and Inuyasha had been traveling with spoke up.

"We have been traveling in this mist for a while, and if this really is the source of the plague that's cursed the city, it would be wise for us to rest for a bit, maybe even leave and seek shelter elsewhere. Even the slightest fatigue can wipe someone out of the picture in these circumstances," Miroku explained. Kagome sighed and nodded. But then the Demon Slayer, Sango began a protest.

"But we haven't even explored have the city yet. And besides, the nearest shelter is a day's journey away in Taka Pass. And we can't just leave and make camp along the coast. The Queen has banned any outsiders from making camp unless in the confines of the city thanks to this water dragon running amuck."

With that, Inuyasha began his typical, senseless, hot-headed banter: "Well then why don't we just go out there and beat the shit out of that dragon! It's not like we can't take it! And if there's a demon running around, shouldn't we take care of it! It could be one of Naraku's doing!"

"It's not that simple, Inuyasha," Miroku snapped, "First off, the Water Dragon is not a demon, but a sacred creature protected under the Queen's rule. The Water Dragon is a god that has protected these waters for centuries. To kill it now would only bring more harm than good. And secondly, the Water Dragon lives out in the _middle of the ocean_. It could be anywhere. The only time people on the shore even see it is if it attacks an incoming ship, so unless we found some bait-which I strongly advise against, Inuyasha-it's impossible to track down."

"Yeah, but what if-!"

"_No!_" The entire group shot the half-demon down, who in turn, glared at everybody and shoved his arms up the sleeves of his robe, crossing them.

"But what if we just walked around for a little bit longer and then took a break?" the child of the group, Shippo asked. His small, fox feet gripped onto the shirt of Kagome's school uniform with its claws, and his tiny arms kept himself propped up on her shoulder. Kagome smiled and nodded.

"That sounds like a plan," Kagome said, "How about we just look around for a bit, and see if we can find anybody well enough to tell us what's going on around here, and then we can turn around and head back."

The group seemed to nod and come to an agreement, but it was at that moment when Kagome noticed Inuyasha's nose twitch. It was slight, but the priestess had learned to pick up on the half-demons most subtle of movements. And such a twitch of his nose could only mean one thing: he found something.

The rest of the group picked up on Inuyasha's find when his subtle movement turned into a full-blown growl followed by the quick grabbing of his sword, Tetsusaiga.

"What's wrong, Inuyasha?" Miroku asked.

"I can smell him," Inuyasha growled. Kagome raised an eyebrow.

"Who? A demon? It isn't Naraku is it?" the priestess asked.

"No. Sesshoumaru!" And with that, Inuyasha charged off with his world-famous senseless rage.

"Inuyasha! Get back here!" Kagome called back. She gritted her teeth. As much as she disliked the demon, Inuyasha certainly didn't need to go picking a fight. If Sesshoumaru had intended to fight Inuyasha then he would have shown his face by now, so why couldn't the stupid half-demon just leave him be!

Though as she chased Inuyasha down, she couldn't help but wonder, why was Sesshoumaru even here in the first place? Based on what she had learned from stories Inuyasha had told and the little experience she had had with him, it was unlike the demon to set foot anywhere near a human village. Even if he wanted to fight Inuyasha, he wouldn't even go that far to follow his brother here of all places. Unless Sesshoumaru was the one who cursed the city. Though Kagome really didn't think that as likely. Sesshoumaru was a lot of things, but even he wouldn't deliberately attempt to kill off so many humans. Especially not if he allowed Rin to follow him around. Was he trying to save the humans instead? Kagome also dismissed the idea. He cared about Rin, yes, but other humans to Sesshoumaru were…just there. He neither displayed compassion or hatred towards them. Frankly, he never really cared about what would happen to others, but he wouldn't hurt anyone deliberately.

Kagome continued to follow Inuyasha as he leapt atop the buildings. Finally, Kagome saw the person Inuyasha was looking for, and just as she did, the half-demon raised his sword and screamed his brother's name, lashing out as he did so.

Only there was just one problem.

It wasn't Sesshoumaru.

* * *

**Etsuko**

I sighed heavily. Well this sucked. I observed the guard's every movement. The way he held his bow protectively in front of him. How his feet scuffled about underneath him. Every motion made it obvious the man was scared out of his wit. For a dumb moment, I couldn't see why. Well, I was blind after all.

"Th-th-this gate l-l-leads to the Aristocratic Quarters of Sei-an city….!" The man stuttered. Issun bounced furiously atop my head.

"Yeah, yeah, we know that! Now if you'll excuse us, we need to get through!" the bug half-shouted. The man in response jumped back and reached for an arrow in response. I frowned.

"Issun…let me handle this," I sighed. The man suppressed a scream. I stepped forward, holding out my hand, "Please, sir," I began, "My friends and I only wish to help get rid of this plague in your city. All we want to do is help and—"

"DEMOOON! GET AWAY FROM MEEEE!" the guard screamed and began smacking me with his bow. I retreated back a few steps, tripping on a small ledge as I did so, and fell on my butt.

"H-hey! Knock it off!" I shouted, shielding my face. The hell was this guy's problem!

"Nice, going, Pup! Now we're never gonna get through there!" Issun snapped. I let out a low growl.

"Oh, like you were any help," I grumbled back. In front of me, Amaterasu lowered her ears and let out a whimper. Of course the diplomat of the group can't be understood by humans! Damn. The guard smacked me hard on my head, knocking my senseless as I rolled onto my back. "Arrg!" I groaned, holding my head.

"Take THAT, demon!" the man screamed, "Nobody gets to ransack my queen's city without paying the price, bitch!"

I groaned to myself. For some reason, people really enjoyed calling me a bitch today…not that that wasn't inaccurate…but still. I stood up, raising my hands, "Fine! I'll leave! Sorry I tried to help!"

_Etsuko…_ Amaterasu whined, _Please don't take his words like that._

I shot out a nasty glare, "Oh, no. It's fine! You guys go on ahead, figure out what the problem here is. And _I'll_ just go off and do some demony things around here." The sarcasm dripping off my teeth as I looked back to the guard, who now hid behind his bow. Amaterasu sighed heavily.

_Etsuko, please—_

"No, no. Please. I insist. Go on ahead! It's no skin off my back!"

_Very well. But please understand that we still need your help. Your assistance is so greatly appreciated. _

"Yeah, Pup!" Issun chimed in, "Why don't you do something important while you wait and um…keep watch!"

I raised an eyebrow. Keep watch? For what? Everyone is sick and dying in here, it's not like anybody would try and go after them. I sighed. It was probably just his way of thinking that I was dumb enough to fall for that. Or maybe he didn't want me to get bored and destroy what was left of this city. Maybe both. In any case, I closed my eyes and crossed my arms. "Fine!" I huffed, "Go on and have your little excavation project! I'll go off and pretend to be important while your away."

_Etsuko, please don't be like this. You are important to us,_ the wolf attempted to reassure. I rolled my eyes.

"Yeah, keeping watch in a ghost town. That's _so_ important," I groaned, "In any case, you guys better get going. I'm not sure how much longer the people here have left to live if this plague continues.

"Yeah, Pup's right, Ammy, we need to go!" Issun said, bouncing to the god's head. The wolf sighed and nodded.

_Stay safe,_ she said, _and don't start anything_.

With that, the wolf turned and passed through the gate to the Aristocratic Quarters. I observed the wolf suspiciously. Stay safe? Don't start anything? What, was this god my mother now!

I then turned my head to the guard who was still trembling. His head turned towards me, watching my movement suspiciously. I frowned. "Woof," I said.

In response the man screamed like a little girl and fainted on the spot. Well…I _could_ try to sneak past…

A sly smile on my face I began to step forward, only to be stopped by a man's scream.

"SESSHOUMARU! YOU BASTAAAAARD!" The voice shouted to my right. Yet I couldn't see who it belonged to. Out of sheer dumb luck, I managed to scream and fall back just as the man's large sword struck the ground where I had once stood. As he touched the ground, I could finally make out his form. Tall and lean, but with a stalky build similar to my father's. His hair was thick and long, and he held himself proudly, even as he crouched on the ground swinging his sword at nothing. Wait a minute…did he just call me…Sesshoumaru…? The hell?

"The hell is your problem!" I shouted back, holding my hand over my face. The man turned his head up towards me and he jumped.

"What the-! You're not Sesshoumaru!" He shouted.

"Like hell I'm not!" I screamed back, "What's your problem!"

"What's my problem! What's your problem!"

"I asked you first! Why the hell'd you attack me like that!"

"And why do you smell like Sesshoumaru!"

"Well, why do you smell like a half-demon who doesn't know how to bathe!"

"WHY YOU-!"

"SIT BOY!" A strange new voice entered the argument, and as it did, the necklace draped on the man suddenly face-planted, his head burying into the pavement. I jumped back, my eyes widened. What in the world..? I turned my head blindly as footsteps approached. Light footsteps, light and innocent footsteps. A woman, clade in a really short skirt came forward, holding a bow with arrows strung on her back. She held herself in a way that made her out to seem young, but still showed the experience of a renowned priestess.

"Sorry about that," the woman said, rubbing the back of her head, "Inuyasha can be a little…head-strong sometimes."

"It's fine…" I muttered, observing her suspiciously. Meanwhile this 'Inuyasha' attempted to pry his face out of the ground. I continued, "but just why the hell did you attack me?"

"Yeah…sorry about that," the priestess apologized again, "For some reason, Inuyasha thought that you were his brother and…let's just say they don't exactly get along."

"Oh," I said. Odd, then why did…? "Why did you call me 'Sesshoumaru' then?"

"BECAUSE THAT'S HIS NAME YOU DIPWAD!" Inuyasha screamed as he pulled his head free.

"He's WHAT!" I shouted back. Holy Sweet Mother Amaterasu! His brother was who! Since when did this happen! Last time I checked he didn't HAVE a brother! But if they were…then that would mean this freak was my….! He was my…! "Holy SHIT!"

"I-is something wrong…?" the priestess asked. I breathed heavily, looking from the priestess to Inuyasha. Finally I shook my head.

"N-no…it's nothing. So just who are you buys anyway?" I asked, noticing more footsteps and people quickly approaching.

* * *

**Kagome**

The girl turned her head, but her eyes seemed to notice neither her nor Inuyasha. Could she be blind? But then again, Kagome was certain this child was a demon. She had the aura for it, and Kagome's sacred arrows seemed to respond as if they could take the girl down. But a blind demon? That was new.

"Well, my name is Kagome Higurashi," she said, then gestured towards Inuyasha, who crouched on the ground, eyeing the strange girl as if he were planning to attack her again, "and this here is my friend Inuyasha."

"Okay," the girl said, then without even turning her head, she pointed to her right, "and who are those three?"

Kagome jumped and noticed as Sango, Miroku, and Shippo made their way to the trio. Kagome looked from them to the supposedly blind girl.

_She didn't even have to look!_ Kagome thought, _but if she's blind how did she even notice them!_ Kagome gulped hard and said, "Well, those are our other friends. Miroku, Sango, and Shippo."

"P-pleasure to meet you," Sango said, catching onto Kagome's introduction. She then followed the girl's gaze for a moment, a peculiar look enticing her eye. She then looked to Kagome with a suspicion similar to what the priestess had.

"So what's your name?" Kagome asked, redirecting the subject from her thoughts.

"Etsuko," the girl said in a careful tone. It was obvious she didn't want to reveal any more than she had to, especially around a group of strangers who had attacked her for no reason.

_Smart girl,_ Kagome thought.

"Um…forgive me for prodding but…" Sango began, the suspicion in her eyes growing to be more than she could bear, "are you blind?"

* * *

**Inuyasha**

The girl's eyes widened ever so slightly, yet other than that her face displayed absolutely no emotion—much unlike her outburst from earlier.

"I am," the girl said in a low voice, careful not to say any more than she had to.

_She's just like him, _Inuyasha thought, _but why…?_ The half-demon bit down a low growl. Her subtle movements, her short answers, that stone cold expressionless face, everything about her reminded him of one person.

A one person that he despised possibly even more so than Naraku.

And yet her sudden answer had taken even Inuyasha aback. Sango and Miroku both took a step away from the girl, shock enticing their faces. Shippo jumped down off Sango's shoulder and made his way to the girl, watching her movements. He moved his head, as if trying to get the girl's eyes to follow.

She turned her head downwards towards the child, but her eyes made no movement, staying in their golden glazed imprisonment. She raised an eyebrow, "What are you looking at?"

"Waah! You can see me?" Shippo half screamed. The girl nodded her head.

"Yes," she said. Inuyasha raised an eyebrow himself, watching the exchange between the two.

Sango, seemingly oblivious to the exchange continued, "A blind demon?" she said, "But that's unheard of. Tell me; are you a bat demon then?"

At that, the girl spat out a laugh, placing her hands on her hips, "Do I honestly look like a bat demon to you! Please!"

Sango jumped slightly, lowering her head. Inuyasha even let out a laugh. That was a dumb question on Sango's part! True, the girl's hair may have been a dark brown, but even the half-demon could tell Etsuko was obviously dog demon. She even had the markings on her face as proof. Stupid Sango! A bat demon? Really?

Inuyasha suddenly paused, and cleared his throat. That was odd, not only did this girl remind Inuyasha of a certain someone but she shared the same sense of humor as the half-demon. The hell? And another thing: she was a dog demon, yet she had _brown hair_. And she was blind! But somehow, she was still aware of Shippo's movements, and claimed she could see the others.

"Then how could you possibly be blind?" Sango continued, "Were you injured in combat or something?"

"No," the girl said, her stone-cold expression returning just as quickly as it disappeared, "I was born blind. I've always been blind."

"But that's impossible!" Inuyasha spat, "Just how the hell is a dog demon born blind? And why isn't your hair white?"

At that, the girl's expression saddened, her glazed-over eyes glistening, "My father was a dog demon. My mother…I'm not so sure what type of demon she was."

"And just who the hell is your father?" Inuyasha asked, "And why do you smell like Sesshoumaru! You haven't been scheming some way to steal the Tetsusaiga from me with him, have you!"

At that, Etsuko gave Inuyasha a nasty glare (though her gaze was slightly off), and turned away, "My father is dead!"

"That doesn't answer my question!" Inuyasha growled. The girl ignored him and began to walk away. "Hey!" Inuyasha continued to shout, "I'm talkin' to you! Get back here!"

"Inuyasha!" Kagome scolded, "Just leave the girl be. It's bad enough that you had to go charging in like that. You could've killed her!"

"Hey guys…?" Shippo began, "Did anyone else notice how she could see? Isn't she supposed to be blind?"

"Actually," Sango said, "Yeah I did. Though she never actually looked at us directly. And she noticed our approach without having to turn her head."

"Do you think she really is blind?" Kagome asked. Inuyasha rolled his eyes and stood as he sheathed his sword.

"There's no doubt about it," Inuyasha said, "she's a blind demon. Somehow she learned to train her sixth sense to be an extension of her sights."

"But my biggest question is what do you think she's doing in this city?" Miroku suddenly asked. The group suddenly fell silent. Inuyasha looked around; the girl had vanished from his sight, possibly stalking elsewhere in the city. "It's unlike demons to come into human populations unless they're looking to kill. Could it be that this demon is the cause of this plague?"

"Somehow I doubt it," Sango interrupted, "This plague has been caused by something extremely powerful, something I don't even think a dog demon like that girl is capable of this. Besides, there have been a lot of rumors going around about this second slaying of the eight-headed snake recently, and somehow this plague seems to be tied to that."

Inuyasha let out a growl. Yeah right, like that kid could be capable of something like this. But that didn't take away from the fact that he had mistaken the girl for Sesshoumaru. Plus, she even avoided his question and disappeared. The two facts put together made the hanyou itch to uncover the mystery about her, possibly even take her out if she was in cahoots with his brother.

"I don't think it really matters as to why that kid is here, all I care about is getting some answers from her!" And with that Inuyasha leapt atop the nearest building, following this Etsuko's scent.

* * *

**Etsuko**

I sat on a rock.

That's pretty much all I did for a good chunk of time after abandoning the strange group of humans, half-demon, and demon child. The large boulder stood atop the hill that overlooked the great Sei-an city, though the fabled view from this hill was lost from my sight forever. The calm lapping of waves sang gently as the wind blew. The stench of the mist coming still wafted heavily in my nose. I finally stood and made my way to the platform that overlooked the sea. The sweet scent of sea air calmed my senses from the sickly stench of the city. I sat at the ledge of the platform, my feet dangling over the water.

"_Ma Cherie!_ My how you have grown up, Little Etsu!" An oh so familiarly flamboyant voice suddenly called out. I couldn't make out the owner of the voice as I knew him to float eloquently through the air, his feet barely grazing the ground on occasion.

"Waka?" I asked.

"Indeed it is, my Little Etsu! How have you been, child? You look more and more like your father with each day!" Waka said, gently pressing his hand on my shoulder, making me suddenly aware of his presence. He then sat down next to me, his hand still on my shoulder as if to protect me. I scooted next to the prophet slightly, reminiscing back to my childhood when I had first met the mysterious Tao Master. He had saved me from demons when I accidentally wandered off too far from my parents, somehow ending up at the Moon Cave's entrance. He then had taken it upon himself to teach me how to see and much more. Of course, my father didn't necessarily appreciate the combat lessons I was given as it led me to begin seeking out danger in order to test myself. Of course, my mother would often scold my father, saying he had to let me go every now and then, and to not discourage my new found gift. I was a lot like him, the way I always looked for adventure. Now that I thought about it, Waka had become like an uncle to me. He was my sensei after all. "So I hear you are traveling with Amaterasu now?" Waka suddenly said, interrupting my thoughts.

"Well I was," I said, "but that was before I remembered how much humans hate demons."

"Ah yes, the dreaded curse that compassionate demons such as you must carry," Waka reminisced, "but Amaterasu seems to hold you in high regards nonetheless. It seems you've earned the god's trust."

I scoffed and rolled my eyes, "I doubt it. I'm a demon. She's a god. And that bug she travels with can't go two seconds without trying to get rid of me."

"Issun just has a funny way of showing his feelings is all," Waka explained, "He will come around in time."

"If you say so…" I muttered, then suddenly realized just what the prophet had said, "Wait, what!"

Waka laughed, "I simply mean that you two will grow closer when the time comes is all."

"Well I don't want to grow closer; I just want to gain their trust!"

"That's what I meant."

"Waka…" I narrowed my eyes. Waka merely laughed and shrugged the subject off.

"I only say that you must keep an open mind to what the future holds. Expect the unexpected, but don't try to predict what is to come. The future will show you the truth in time, for now you must live and enjoy the present," he explained. I narrowed my eyes. He often gave me that speech, especially when I grew overly curious about things. Ever since the day I found out he was a prophet I had begun with nonstop questions, wanting to know everything. Though the way he spoke now…it seemed off, even for him.

"You know something," was all I said. Whether Waka decided to shed some light on the subject or not would be his choice. Besides, whenever I tried to force information out of him he would end up giving me some goofy prophecy that just left me even more confused. Sometimes I think he did that just to see the look on my face.

"Indeed I do, child," he said, "In fact I know a lot of things."

"I meant about my future."

"That too," Waka chuckled, "You have always been in such a hurry to learn. You're a curious child. But if you want I could give you a prophecy!"

"No thank you!" I shouted, covering my ears. In response Waka laughed.

"You learn well, Little Etsu," he noted, "however I do think I should leave you with a bit of information before I send you on your way."

"You're leaving?" I asked, trying to hid my disappointment. Waka nodded.

"Indeed I am," he said, almost as if he regretted it, "There is business I need to attend to, but I need to warn you, if you are to remain on this path you are on—though I strongly advise you to stay on it—you will be in grave danger. The rumors of Orochi were true, but I fear though his death has restored a temporary peace, this is only the beginning."

"What?" I asked in disbelief, standing as Waka began to leave, "Then what am I supposed to do?"

"Stay with Amaterasu for now. She will protect you. But I would also advise that you rendezvous with the one called Inuyasha soon. He holds a key that will guide you to the truth about the day you were separated from your parents. The truth is painful, but the mastermind behind it is also the mastermind behind your blindness, and other things. Find your parents Etsuko, and stop the evil that's spreading across this world," the prophet explained. I swallowed a lump in my throat.

"But my parents are dead," I countered.

"Reality is only what you believe it to be," Waka said, "Keep your mind open." And with that he vanished, leaving me alone.

My loneliness, however, was short lived.

"Hey! Etsuko! Ya think you can stand another water trip!" Issun's voice blared out. I turned my body toward the wolf and bug who ran towards me and sighed.

"Why?" I asked. This couldn't be good…

* * *

**Sesshoumaru**

The demon stepped off the bridge and onto the path that lead to Ryoshima. He looked around. The bridge itself was fine, but remnants of guard towers and crumbled buildings scattered the entire side of City Checkpoint that Sesshoumaru stood at. And the other thing, the demon was sure that the checkpoint was heavily guarded at all times, yet the only other person he could find at the start of the bridge was a sleeping fat lump of human dressed in uniform. In any case, Sesshoumaru shrugged the thought off, turning towards the three that continued to follow him.

Ah-Un remained close behind with Rin riding on the dragon's back. Jaken, however, scrambled rapidly across the bridge, tripping continuously.

"Lord Sesshoumaru! Wait for me!" the toad screamed.

Sesshoumaru ignored the demon's pleas and pressed forward. He had more important matters to attend to than waiting for Jaken to catch up.

"Lord Sesshoumaru? Is something wrong?" Rin asked innocently. Sesshoumaru sighed. The girl reminded him too much of Etsuko.

"No," he lied, his voice low and monotonous, "Hurry up, Jaken. We need to move."

"Y-yes, Milord!" Jaken scrambled to his feet and ran towards the dog demon, trying not to get left behind. They made their way down the long, narrow path towards Ryoshima Coast. It wasn't long before the path had become enclosed by tall, rocky cliffs, the sky seeming farther and farther away. Sesshoumaru look up, the breeze in the wind catching his attention.

"Kagura," He muttered, narrowing his eyes. The woman's silhouette appeared under the sun, noticing the group of travelers the woman had encountered only a few times in recent months.

"Sesshoumaru? Just what the hell are you doing here?" Kagura asked as the feather she rode on lowered towards the ground. The nerve of the woman to think she could face him after the lies she told.

"I was about to ask you the same thing," Sesshoumaru gritted his teeth, placing a hand on Tokijin just in case. Kagura noticed this and grabbed hold of her fan. She began to fan herself as if to portray an oblivious act. Foolish, Sesshoumaru thought, he of all people should've been able to read Kagura's movements so easily. The least she could do was make her intentions more obvious. It's not like the dog demon was an idiot.

"So just what brings you hear?" the woman asked. Sesshoumaru glared at the woman a long time before answering.

"I'm looking for something," he answered in a low voice, his rage suddenly bubbling to the surface. Kagura snapped her fan closed. Her red eyes picked up the hint of anger in the demon's voice.

"Like what?" She asked, narrowing her eyes.

"Answers," Sesshoumaru said and unsheathed his sword, pointing the tip towards the woman's slender neck, "Like just what the hell happened to my daughter!"

* * *

Uh-oh! Sesshoumaru's pissed! XD The pieces are slowly coming together now...but what exactly did Waka mean about Etsuko earning Amaterasu's and Issun's trust? (EPIC FORESHADOWING! Haha...just had to do that XP)


	6. Chapter 5

Hi again! Wow, I actually have a chapter written in a decentish time frame! Huzzah! So, this is another very long chapter (longest yet I think), this one I actually had to cut in half, hopefully I will get the other half posted at somepoint in the near future, if not, feel free to yell at me. So...not a whole lot really happens in this half of the chapter...and I mean not really anything AT ALL. For those of you who are familiar with Okami, should realize that plotwise I haven't even gotten far, not to mention I haven't even introduced Inuyasha's plotline in with the mix yet.

I guess I should also explain what I plan to do...as much as I hate this, I came to the realization last night that for the story to progress as I want it to, I'll have to alter a good chunk of both the game's plot and several episode plots for Inuyasha...again...it's not something I generally like doing, but I figured that since it is a FANFIC, I could fudge a little bit. Also, this chapter really focuses in on past memories, it kind of starts explaining how Etsuko was led to grow up in Kamiki and what it was that happened to her and her parents. And if you STILL don't know who they are, then hot damn you better figure it out in this chapter!

Haha, anyway, well, this chapter and the next are mostly going to be recalling memories, as I said, and then I shall get back to the present. Just bear with me. I was also considering writing a prequel fic to this story, to hopefully give a better explanation...that is, if I can't fit everything I want to in.

Also, anything written in _italics_ denotes to a memory, a thought, or Amaterasu speaking.

ENJOI

* * *

**Jaken**

The toad demon watched in horror as Sesshomaru unleashed his sword-and rage-on the woman. It was unlike his master to show such emotion. And to succumb to it completely! Jaken had never seen Sesshomaru like this before! Except for the day Etsuko…oh…

Kagura, in response, stared at the piercing blade pressed against her neck with her usual seemingly careless demeanor. Her blood red eyes steal, concealing all emotion, but her mouth fixated into a frown. She then closed her eyes and sighed, placing her hands on her hips. It was then, when Naraku's incarnation began to handle Sesshomaru's anger as Jaken had seen her do a thousand times in what seemed like a time centuries before—only this time the demon lord's anger was on a far greater scale, peeking what could be considered the borderline between rage and sheer madness.

"Honestly, Sesshomaru," Kagura began her voice somewhat shaky, as if she too were just as stunned at Lord Sesshomaru's sudden outburst as Jaken was. She then lifted a hand, and gently pushed Tokijin away from her throat, "You've got to be careful where you point that thing, otherwise you might end up chopping your other arm off. What is it with men and their swords? It's like some sort of bragging right or something."

The wind demon then smiled a rather famously mischievous smile at Sesshomaru. Jaken gulped. When it came to calming Sesshomaru down enough to redirect a subject, or even to drop it all together, Kagura was a pure mastermind, especially considering Lord Sesshomaru's normally unchangeable one-track mind. And that smile of hers…if Lord Sesshomaru had anything that could be considered a weakness—which he didn't—it would be his lack of will power to look past that wench's smile.

This time however proved different, because though Sesshomaru began to relax his shoulders and lowered his blade, he suddenly dropped the sword, let out a loud and heavy growl, and shoved Kagura against the stone wall before the woman had time to realize what had happened. He wrapped his clawed hand around her neck, choking her.

"Sesshomaru! What-!"

"Don't you _dare_ drop the subject on me! Where. Is. Etsuko?"

**Etsuko**

"A-are you _sure_ this is a good idea?" I asked fearfully, staring out at the vast expanse of nothingness where supposedly a sunken ship lay, "I mean, what good is taking a blind demon along anyway?"

"Oh don't give me that crap now, Pup," Issun snarled back at me, "You wanted to do something to help us, so hot damn you are!"

_Issun's right, Etsuko, _Amaterasu chided, _you wanted to gain my trust, did you not? This could be your chance._

I was pretty sure Amaterasu's words were meant for comfort and inspiring me enough to plunge into total darkness for them, but honestly, it just felt like they were taking my words and biting me in the butt with them. Water was just something I could not do. For me, being in water was like being surrounded by darkness. Still water was one thing-actually, I should say still and _shallow _water. As long as my feet could touch the rocks at the bottom, I could see okay. My vision would be skewered to nothing more than a bunch of blobs, but at least I could still see _something. _But the ocean? No. For one, my feet couldn't even touch the bottom. For another thing, the constant change in currents and under currents hidden below, if I were to ever try sending out energy to help me see, the waves would just wash it away, and because the water's so deep, staring out at the ocean from the shore was like staring out at the end of the earth. It was like looking at a huge drop off into nothing. Looking at that ocean was really the only time I ever felt truly blind. I was like a child afraid of the dark; only instead of darkness it was water that truly terrified me…which for the way I see, it's the same difference. But that wasn't even the worst part.

The fact is I can't swim.

I've heard talk of people drowning in the ocean because they got disoriented when a wave hit and couldn't regain awareness of their surroundings quick enough (like which was up, which way was down). See that person would be me the minute I set foot in that water. I just can't do it. I don't have a problem fighting off demons, in fact, I probably wouldn't mind staring death in the face if the opponent proved too strong. At least I could go to the otherworld with my pride left, but to die _drowning_? Nope. Sorry, I'm too damn proud to allow that to happen. Blame my father for my pride; at least I can admit who I am.

I gulped hard, straining to make out any sort of shape that resembled the ocean floor, or even the ship, something to reassure me that I wouldn't fall off into space by jumping off this cliff with Amaterasu and Issun. Nothing. Just a big wad of blindness. Damn, sometimes I hated this curse.

"Do I really have to do this…?" I squeaked. Around me the air began to change, and the temperature began to drop slowly, leaving a shiver to run up my spine as it always did when the sun began to set. I stopped for a moment, trying to imagine the vast rainbow of colors my father once described to me, but something told me not even the best imagination could picture the beauty of an ocean sunset. I sighed, slowly returning to reality.

"Yeah, Demon, yeah you do," Issun said, "Look, there's this hot priestess that we're supposed to meet on the ship to help get some weapon to enhance her holy powers. Or something like that. And I sure as hell ain't gonna be one to turn down _those_ melons!"

"Melons…?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

_Though you really wanted to,_ Amaterasu corrected, _and treat that woman with more respect! She is a very renowned priestess after all._

"Oh, come on!" Issun barked back, "You can't take a look at that babe and say she wasn't stacked!"

_Issun, I am not going to be one to judge women by how large and soft their breasts are!_ Amaterasu barked back. For a moment we all grew silent, trying to take in what the god had just said. I frowned. So I'm traveling with a perverted bug and a species-confused wolf. Great. As if my life could get any weirder!

"Anyway," I said, trying to brush the subject off, "Just how the hell are we supposed to get to the ship anyway? For one, I can't see it, and for another, I'm not sure how well Amaterasu can swim with two people on her back.

"I'm not _that _heavy, Pup," Issun said. I rolled my eyes.

"I was talking about me and the priestess, Issun. You're too small to count," I said.

"WHAT!"

_Etsuko, we're actually meeting Rao on the ship. She told us to go on ahead once the tide recedes,_ Amaterasu said, seemingly brushing off her earlier comment.

"Oh?" I said, actually really surprised. Rao? _She's _the priestess we're meeting? Amaterasu cocked her head.

_Is something the matter?_ She asked. I shook my head.

"No, it's just that I think I've met Rao once before," I explained.

"When?" Issun asked suppressing a laugh, "Was she trying to slay you?"

"No," I growled, "my parents took me to her when I was little to see if there was anything in her powers to restore my sight. She found a wicked presence sealed away when she attempted to use her holy powers on me, not my demonic aura, but something…fowl. Almost like a curse that couldn't be lifted…" I thought back to those few days. Her strong aura kept repelling me away at first, because her holy powers were so mighty, she had attempted lifting the curse without taking away from my demonic aura, but that proved to be a task even for her. Rao…I hadn't thought of that woman in a long time. I wondered if she ever kept her word in looking for a way to break my curse, or even what had caused it in the first place.

_Demons seeking help from a priestess? That's strange, _Amaterasu noted, _why would they do that?_

"Sakuya sensed something off with my blindness, she felt as if I wasn't really blind, but rather my eyesight was sealed away for some reason. So she sent us to Rao to see if she could be of any help," I said. Amaterasu cocked her head.

_Sakuya?_ Amaterasu asked, she then nodded,_ That's right, you mentioned that you grew up in Kamiki, but I'm curious, why is it that the villagers and Sakuya trusted you and your parents enough to allow you all to live in the village?_

"Well, it's a really long story…" I grumbled, rubbing the back of my head. Amaterasu promptly then sat down and wagged her tail.

_Well, we have some time. Why not pass it while we wait?_ The wolf offered. I smiled and sat down as well.

"My father first set foot in Nippon fifty years ago," I explained, thinking back to the stories he had told me, "he had been badly wounded from war. In fact, the only reason he was able to pass through the barrier the Guardian Saplings put out is because his demonic aura was so weak. Near death, he crossed paths with Mr. Orange, the elder of Kamiki. At that time he was still a boy, but Mr. Orange said he'd never forget the first time he met my father…" I continued, thinking back to Mr. Orange's tale of that fateful day, trying to tell the story as he had to me.

"_His coat, covered in crimson, bloodied from heavy battle," Mr. Orange drifted off, stroking his bear. I sat on my belly, listening intently to the elder's tale. It was high noon, and my father still hadn't returned from his travels. Mother was elsewhere and I had spent the day with the village elders, eating Mrs. Orange's Cherry Cakes and listening to Mr. Orange's stories. Mr. Orange took a drink of Kushi's sake and continued, "But despite the heavy blood and seeping wounds, I couldn't help but think of this white stallion as a god. His long white hair, his brilliantly gold eyes, I began to wonder if he was Shiranui in human form. Of course I was a boy, naïve and protected by the great Guardian Saplings of this countryside, so I wasn't even able to recognize a demon when I saw one." At that, Mr. Orange laughed to himself. I giggled too._

"_What happened next, Mr. Orange?" I asked. Father wasn't one for telling stories of his past, at least not the way Mr. Orange did. Father had told me himself how he came to bringing mother and I to Kamiki Village, but hearing of all my father's godlike glory from Mr. Orange made the story seem completely new. _

"_Well, first, I knelt down to my knees and offered your father the little food I had left," Mr. Orange explained, "but like the humble man he is, he simply turned my offer down. It was then when I noticed his limping, and I asked if he needed any assistance. Again, he turned me down, too magnificent and too handsome to take help from a petty human such as I."_

_I nodded, completely engrossed in the tale, thinking to my father's version of the same story: "I looked down at this boy, begging me to let him help me tend to my wounds," he had said, "but I was too proud to accept his help. I was never one to accept sympathy well. I'm still not. Besides, I had wandered into territory I didn't belong in, even if Nippon was part of the Western Lands I haled over. No demon had set foot in the countryside in fifty years."_

"_I allowed the man his freedom," Mr. Orange continued, "but as I returned to this humble village, I couldn't help but worry about the wounded god. Shiranui was a god, and he still died after his battle with Orochi, did he not? So when I returned to my home, my parents worrying for me as I had wandered off for too long, I told them about my encounter with the man, 'He's Shiranui in human form! I swear it!' I claimed, 'but he's badly hurt! He needs our help!' My grandfather, who had witnessed Shiranui's death before, made haste to return to Shinshu Field where I left the man be. He, my father, and many other men, gathered as I led them to where I left your father. He hadn't wandered far, in fact, by the time we found him, he had collapsed unconscious under the Guardian Sapling."_

"_Oh no! He didn't die, did he?" I asked, sitting on my knees. At that, Mr. Orange laughed heartily._

"_No, no, child, remember, this is your father I am speaking of!" the elder said. I made an 'O' with my mouth and lied back down on my stomach. Mr. Orange continued, "My father and the men were quick to pick up the man and carry him back to the village. It was there, where my mother tended to the man's wounds. He had come down with a fever, brought on by poison my mother found draped over a piece of shrapnel from a weapon imbedded in his side. At first, we worried your father wouldn't survive, but his wounds healed in less than a day, and it was by the next morning that he had finally regained consciousness."_

"_Wait," I said, "if my daddy was a demon, then how come the other villagers didn't notice it? I mean, everybody seems to know I'm a demon here, they don't even have to ask me."_

"_Well, here in Kamiki," Mr. Orange explained, "we humans have been fortunate enough to have the protection of Sakuya and her Konohana Tree. Because it is the main tree with her protection, we hadn't been attacked by demons in ages. Even the elders of the village in my childhood who remembered Orochi's reign, never even saw the snake himself, so many of us didn't know what a demon looked like."_

"_Oh, so did they think Father was Shiranui too?"_

"_Oh yes," Mr. Orange exclaimed, "In fact, during the time your father was unconscious, the entire village worked to put together offerings for when he awakened. We weren't about to make the same mistakes in mistrusting the god again. I sat by your father's side until he awoke, and when he did, he wore the most puzzled expression on his face. 'A human village?' he had said to himself as he looked around, 'how did I end up here?'_

"'_excuse me, Mr. Shiranui, sir,' I remember saying, 'I know you didn't want my help before, but you collapsed after I left you and I didn't want to leave you to die.'_

"_The man sat up, 'Shiranui?'_

"_I nodded, 'Yes, sir. You are Shiranui in human form, correct? I couldn't help but notice how white your coat and hair was, and my grandfather witnessed your death after your battle with Orochi, and he recognized you as well…"_

"Woah, back up!" Issun suddenly bombarded me out of my story. I narrowed my eyes.

"What?" I asked.

"They _do_ realize Ammy's a girl…right?" Issun asked. I smacked my palm to my face.

"Issun…! Does that really matter?" I grimaced. By this time Amaterasu had knelt to the ground, contently absorbed by my retelling of Mr. Orange's tale. The wolf chuckled to herself.

_Actually, Issun,_ she said, _Shiranui was male. I may be him reborn, but it would almost be more accurate to say I am his daughter, as I was in a young form of existence when he died. I was just a puppy. _

Issun turned his head towards Amaterasu, disbelief etched in his voice, "Really! But wait, do you even _have_ a human form?"

_Uh…I have a Celestial form…I kind of look human in that form…would that count?_

"Sure," Issun grumbled, "Anyway, Pup, just continue!"

"Okay, well, now I have to think of where I left off!" I growled at Issun.

"Um…Your dad's in the village, unconscious…Mr. Orange thinks he's Shiranui."

"Right…so anyway:

"'_But I'm not—' your father began, though I was oblivious to his ramblings._

"'_You need not be shy, Lord Shiranui,' I said, tugging on his hand, 'come with me, sir. The village would like to pay their respects to you.'_

"_The god pulled his hand away from me, 'boy!' he shouted sternly. I jumped, staring up at the cold-hearted gaze of the man's golden eyes. A sudden fear struck at my heart, and I cowered away from him slightly. I had never felt a fear like this before. It was almost as if I was staring up at not a god, but rather a demon. _

"_It was then when my parents came into the room, calling for me, 'what's the matter, son?' father asked. He then looked up at the man and immediately bowed, 'Oh, Lord Shiranui. I am so thankful to see that your recovery is under way. Is everything alright in here?'_

"'_Yeah, Dad, everything's fine—' I said quickly, trying to hush my parents out, before the strange man could do any harm to them. Slowly, I was beginning to realize my mistake. But I feared it would be too late to undo it. _

"'_No, everything is not fine, human!' the demon suddenly barked. My father turned around quickly, flinching at the cold gaze the man gave. I took in a shaky breath. Is this how demons raided villages? Did they disguise themselves as gods and trick innocent people before they ate them alive? _

"'_My Lord,' my father said, kneeling, 'what is the matter?'_

"_The strangely handsome man looked quite somber; he stared down at my father not with hatred, nor contempt, but rather, pity. I began to rethink my opinion of the man once more. He didn't seem like a demon at that moment, but rather…something else. He definitely was beyond human, but if he wasn't a demon, and he wasn't a god, what was he? The man closed his eyes and looked away, 'I fear your village has made a grave mistake.'_

"_My father looked up at the man fearfully, 'Lord Shiranui! What on earth are you speaking of? Are you still angry with us for your mistreatment fifty years ago? You haven't returned to send your wrath upon us have you? I beg of you! Please forgive us for our wrongdoings!'_

"'_No, human, that is far from the case,' the man explained, at that my father let out a sigh of relief, only to draw it back in when he added, 'however, I am not this Shiranui you speak of.'_

"'_What?' my father asked, 'but how is that possible? My father witnessed Shiranui's death, he has seen the god in action! He even claims you to be him in human form! How are you not Shiranui? And if you are not, then what are you?'_

"_The man sighed, frowning at my father, 'Your father must have made a mistake. A very poor mistake at that, for I am not Shiranui. My name is Sesshomaru, and I am no god.'_

"'_Sesshomaru?' father repeated, he then thought for a moment, his face beginning to pale, 'then, if you are not a god, then what are you?'_

"_The strange man sighed, 'A demon.'_

"_At that, my mother behind us let out a scream and ran out of the room, alerting the rest of the village. My father scooped me up in his arms and backed towards the wall, shaking as the demon stood. The demon looked down at his chest, bare and covered in bandages, now crimson. He sighed, and ripped the bandages off, revealing a now flawless body, that one would think had been unharmed had they not seen the condition of the man the day before. _

"'_Stop your trembling,' the demon ordered, 'It is pathetic. But fear not as no harm will come to you. I detest humans, but I will not ignore the kindness of my saviors. If you can show me to my belongings, I will be on my way.'_

"'_H-how can we trust you?' my father asked, 'and if you are a demon, then how did you get passed Sakuya's barrier?'_

"_The man shook his head, 'I was injured, my demonic aura must not have been strong enough for your guardian to see as a threat. Now if you will please, show me to my things before I lose my patience.'_

"'_Y-y-yes sir,' Father stuttered, he then took me firmly by the hand and led the demon outside. As we stepped out into the morning sun, Sesshomaru followed us close behind as we passed the line of villagers waiting to see the demon's face. My mother's cries must've reached the entire village as the terror in their eyes made it clear that we were all staring death in the face. My shoulders sagged, it was my fault. That god I saw the day before wasn't refusing my help out of modesty nor pride, but he was warning me to stay away. I failed to head his warning, and now were would all die, and the weight of our deaths would weigh on my shoulders for eternity. _

"_But how had Sakuya not noticed the demon's approach? Why did she not protect us? Was this punishment for our ignorance? I looked up at the majestic tree in the distance, its blossoms, normally in full bloom now dormant, its branches bare. _

"'_Father,' I whispered quietly._

"'_Not now, son,' Father urged, squeezing my hand, shoving me along. He was angry with me, I could tell. But I wouldn't blame him._

"'_But father…the tree!'_

"'_Not now!' Father scolded, pulling on my ear. I let out a yelp, and my heart stopped. Did the demon hear my cries? He wouldn't kill me for showing weakness would he? I turned my head, slightly, pretending not to stare; thankfully the demon wasn't looking at me. Actually, he had drifted behind a few feet, he was looking intently at the Konohana Tree, its branches bare. A few women mistook his gaze to be watching them, and the whimpered slightly, crouching down. Finally, the demon stopped. _

"'_Boy,' the demon said. I jumped, turning my head, and my father dragged me along faster. The demon still didn't move. 'Boy,' he said again, this time more urgently. Father and I stopped, turning back to the demon, he glared at us fiercely. Oh no, was he going to kill us? _

"'_Yes, sir?' I said, gulping down my fear. _

"_The demon, gestured towards Sakuya's tree, 'what were you going to tell your father about that tree?'_

"_Father and I both jumped. Oh no, he did hear us! 'Um…it's just…there's normally Konohana blossoms in bloom. But now the branches are bare. That's never happened before. At least I don't think…'_

"_The demon looked back at the tree and narrowed his eyes, 'Get inside.' The entire village froze, staring at the demon in fear. What did he mean by that? The demon looked around, taking notice to our motionless confusion and growled, 'Get inside! Now!'_

"_We all screamed and took shelter as fast as we could. I tried to run, but I lost track of my father, and by the time I found him, I was running towards the nearest house when the door slammed shut. I banged on the door, but no one let me in. The entire village was quiet, everyone inside except for me and the demon. I stared the demon in the face, a tear escaping my eye. This was how he wanted to kill us. Whimpering in the false security of our homes. Except for me, I was alone with him. _

"_The demon narrowed his eyes, 'Idiot, you should've taken cover when you had the chance.' I whimpered, and closed my eyes, not wanting to watch my own death, when all the sudden I heard, 'DUCK!' _

"_I suddenly opened my eyes again to find a large panther dressed in human clothes falling to the ground, claws retracted, ready to kill. I screamed and covered my head. The panther let out a roar and made to kill me, but was stopped dead in its tracks by a piercing green light that ripped the cat in two. I jumped, watching as the carcass collapsed in front of me, revealing Sesshomaru, the very demon who slayed it. He glared at me._

"'_What a bother, this is why I told you to get inside,' Sesshomaru grumbled, obviously displeased with me. _

"'_What was that?' I asked, terrified._

"'_A Panther Demon. Seems these cats don't know when to admit defeat,' Sesshomaru explained._

"'_There are more of them?' I asked. The demon nodded his head._

"'_Hiding. For now. Seems your barrier has weakened for some reason,' the demon noted, 'take cover. These demons are after me, not you. Find your father and find a way to revive Sakuya before more demons make their way passed Shinshu Field.'_

"'_But what about you?' I asked, concern and fascination growing towards the demon. He looked away._

"'_Do not worry for a demon's sake. Just hurry. I will take care of these pests.'_

"_I quickly did as I was told, finding my way into my home, and locating my father. He was hesitant, but as quickly as he saw the panther demons fighting our malicious protector, he summoned my grandfather and ran to the Great Konohana Tree. Sesshomaru had finished off the demons before grandfather had even had a chance to perform our village's sacred Konohana Shuffle, as he met us at the top of the hill where the tree proudly stood._

"'_Those demons are gone now, so I will take my things and be on my way,' the demon said. Father turned to us and bowed._

"'_You may be a demon,' he said, 'and I apologize for our earlier rudeness, but why did you save us?'_

"_The demon scoffed, 'I wasn't trying to save you, I merely had a score to settle with those panthers and I didn't want you humans in my way.'_

"'_I see,' Father said, stepping back slightly. It was then when grandfather stepped forward._

"'_Nonetheless, you are still our savior, vanquishing those demons from our village. Without you, a great many of us would have perished!' Grandfather said. _

"_The demon once again shook his head, 'No, that is where you are wrong. It was because of me that those demons sought out your village in the first place. For that, I apologize.'_

"_Grandfather let out a hearty laugh, 'A demon? Apologizing? Lord Sesshomaru, was it? You saved us! In fact, if it weren't for you, I'm not sure when we would've taken notice to Sakuya's dormancy! We may have mistaken you for Shiranui, and if that offended you, I apologize; however, I didn't mistake you for a god just by chance. You may be a demon, but I sense a regal aura deep within you, an aura that has blessed this village today. We are eternally grateful to you, Sesshomaru.'_

"'_Please, do not waste your kindness on demons,' Sesshomaru said, 'I will not trouble your village any longer with my presence. As soon as I find my belongings, I will be on my way.'_

"_Grandfather sighed, the glint in his eyes showed that he intended to throw a party in the demon's honor that coming night—and possibly use the opportunity to drink the night away until he was so wasted he couldn't even stand. But nonetheless, he respected the demon's wishes, 'Very well Sesshomaru, my grandson will take you to your things. But take note, that if you are ever in need again, our village is always open to you, may you have Sakuya's blessing of safe travels always.'_

"'_Thank you,' the demon said as if he didn't care, 'I will keep that in mind.' And with that, I took the demon to his belongings, and as the demon took his sword and changed into his fur-covered robe, I said nothing. Nor did I say anything to the demon as he left. And nor did he say anything back. And that was that, Sakuya was revived, and well-aware of the demon's kindness to this village, certain that if he ever tried to return to Nippon, as long as his intentions were pure, no harm would come to the man. But we never saw the demon again, and as I approached my old age, taking position as head of this humble village, I slowly began to forget about the day I mistook a demon for the great Shiranui. Until one day, when I saw a brilliant white-haired and golden-eyed demon step through the gates. Alone, with a small bundle in his arms."_

I finished my story, thinking back to how Mr. Orange ended his tale; the man took another drink of Sake, finishing off the gourd as he did so.

"So let me get this straight," Issun began, "Your father gets the crap beat out of him, Mr. Orange comes along and finds your dad, mistakes him for Shiranui and takes him back to the village, then when your dad wakes up, they all find out he's a demon, everyone flips out, and then the demons that originally beat up your dad show up and try to kill him, only to be killed themselves, and Mr. Orange's gramps invited your dad back if he needs to, and then nobody sees him again for another forty-something years!"

I nodded my head, "Yeah, pretty much. Although, it sounds a lot worse when you say it."

"Well, 'cause that story was stupid! And besides, Ammy asked you a question, and you take ten minutes to tell us your life story!" Issun barked.

I groaned, "It wasn't my life story, dumbass. I'm sorry it took forever to explain, but I really couldn't think of any other way to answer her question!"

_Well, I thought it was a charming story,_ Amaterasu sided, _And besides, it's nice to know that the kind villagers of Kamiki were protected by someone like Etsuko's father. And besides, what a better way to pass the time? It looks like the tide is beginning to recede around the ship now._

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Issun grumbled.

I suddenly jumped back to reality and realized those two were still gonna force me to go on that ship. I peered over the edge of the watch pad. Nothing. Nothing but blindness being a pain in the ass. I suddenly felt sick to my stomach.

_Etsuko?_ Amaterasu asked, _Are you sure you'll be okay to come with us? You look a little…green._

"I'm just peachy. Just don't be offended if I hurl. I don't do water," I said.

"Why not?" Issun asked, as if he couldn't catch on to my earlier fear towards their idea, "Can't you swim?"

I said nothing.

"Pup? Didn't ya hear me?"

I said nothing.

_Issun, I don't think she can…_ Amaterasu noted, letting out a concerned whimper. At that I jumped and snapped back at the wolf.

"I can do just fine on my own, thank you very much! It's just hard to see through water for me, okay!" I shouted.

_Etsuko, you needn't fear the water. I'm not sure of your limits with your vision, but if you can't swim, I won't let you drown. You can feel safe with me. _Amaterasu said gently. I growled and crossed my arms.

"Fine…" I grumbled.

**Rin**

"_You're _daughter? Etsuko was my kid too, ya know!" Kagura snapped back at the demon. The two had been bickering since the Wind Mistress appeared. Rin frowned. Was this the same Etsuko who had saved the child a week before? She looked at Kagura, the sorrow in her red eyes was plane to see, as if she were trying her hardest not to shed tears. And Lord Sesshomaru…Rin had never seen the demon so upset before. It almost made her want to cry in his place.

"Hardly," Lord Sesshomaru spat, "You never gave a damn about her!"

"Like you did? The only reason you were there when she was born was by pure chance, you jackass!" Kagura shouted. She bit her lip, tears streaming from her eyes as she recalled painful memories. Rin looked at Master Jaken, the demon's yellow eyes sad, unsure what to do.

"Shouldn't we do something, Master Jaken?" Rin pleaded, "I don't like seeing them fight like this."

Rin half expected Jaken to turn around and yell at her, calling her a foolish girl and spitting out something about Lord Sesshomaru's master plan but instead, his shoulders sagged and he said, "I'm not sure there is anything we can do, Rin…"

"Because I didn't even know you were pregnant!" Lord Sesshomaru roared, "Much less that you were Naraku's _slave_! For all I know, Etsuko was _blind _because of you! And you didn't do a damn thing to help her!"

"Help her? HELP HER?" Kagura wept. She then took out her fan and thrust Lord Sesshomaru away from her with a gust of wind. She screamed, "Do you have _any _idea what it took to keep Naraku from finding out she was alive? And what did you do?"

Sesshomaru's eyes widened at Kagura's remark. His normally emotionless face flooded with the sorrow that had long been hidden behind his brilliant gold eyes. He lowered his head and said, "I raised her. I raised her to love her mother, to think that one day her mother's visits would be permanent. To know that one day, she would be a strong dog demon, who would bring honor to her family, despite her blindness. And for what? What did that even come to? For me to watch her die in front of me? Is that what you wanted?"

Kagura stepped away from the dog demon, her head lowered. "N-no, Sesshomaru…I didn't want to lose her either!"

"Then what happened to her?" Sesshomaru suddenly asked, "And I mean, what really happened to her? What happened on that day? The least you could do is tell me what you know."

Kagura raised her head slightly, staring at Lord Sesshomaru in a mix of confusion and disbelief, "What?"

"She isn't dead," Sesshomaru said, taking everyone aback, even Rin.

"Lord Sesshomaru!" Jaken screeched suddenly, "What on earth are you talking about, my lord?"

Lord Sesshomaru didn't bother looking back at Jaken but merely stated, "For some reason, Waka seems to think Etsuko is still alive. And even stranger, Rin claims to have met a demon girl bearing the same name and appearance as _my _child. Supposedly I am supposed to seek my answers out here, so tell me this, Kagura, what really happened on that day that would allow Etsuko to live on?"

Rin watched as Kagura's form fell from its normally elegant stance to a depressed and defeated one.

"I don't know, Sesshomaru," Kagura said, "My memories of that day…I can't think of anything that could lead to her being alive."

"Then think harder!" Sesshomaru growled, pure rage leaping forth within his golden eyes. Rin cowered away from the demon slightly, wondering what she could do to make him feel better.

**Sesshomaru**

He couldn't forgive the woman. He just couldn't. Not after that day. He replayed the scene over and over in his head, trying to figure out if there was some way she could have survived. He had long since given up on tormenting himself with such thoughts, hardening his heart to stone in the process, secretly looking to take down every single opponent he would later come across with the same coldhearted, bloodthirsty torture that was aimed at the demon the day they took Etsuko away from him. But now…now that there was a chance Etsuko was alive. He wouldn't rest. He would continue the self-torture for as long as he needed. He wouldn't stop until the child was in his arms once more. He thought back to the last night he spent with Etsuko. If only that night could've lasted forever…

"_Daddy, what do clouds look like?" Sesshomaru had nearly dozed off when the girl posed the question. He opened his eyes and gazed upon Etsuko. The girl sat with her feet hanging over the cliffs edge as she swung her legs freely. The wind blew gently, catching her dark tendrils and danced with them. It had been a peaceful morning, more so than usual in the humble village of Kamiki. Though Sesshomaru himself never really cared for interacting with the humans, Etsuko made a point to visit with the villagers on the main grounds of Kamiki. Though there weren't any children her age, Etsuko still played with the ones younger than her, and occasionally had her pride handed to her by the older ones. Yet this evening the child chose to spend time with her father—not like Sesshomaru could complain—and the two sat atop a cliff side that overlooked even the Sacred Deck. _

_Etsuko's head turned toward the sky above, yet her golden eyes saw nothing. Sesshomaru frowned. Nor would she ever see anything. Not normally at least. Thanks to the golden haired prophet, Waka, the child could at least "see" by sensing her surroundings, but her sight was limited to awareness of surroundings. Nothing more. And seeing anything skyward seemed near impossible to the dog demon. But then again, he had never thought it possible to become a father…or to actually enjoy fatherhood at that (though Etsuko could never know). _

_Sesshomaru's thoughts were interrupted when Etsuko stood and ran over to her father, who had been leaning against a tree. She then grabbed hold of his shoulder, making sure she wasn't mistaking his form for something else (she was still new to her "sight" after all), and sat down on his lap. Sesshomaru grunted under the child's weight. For a ten-year-old, Etsuko was tall, and with such height came the weight to accompany it. Granted, the child was a stick, but Sesshomaru began to wonder if Etsuko would ever outgrow here clingy Daddy's Girl behavior. A part of him hoped she wouldn't. _

"_Well," Sesshomaru began, looking at the clouds overhead. He sighed to himself, trying to lift the heavy atmosphere that accompanied his thoughts, fearing Etsuko might take notice. "Picture something white and fluffy."_

"_White and fluffy?" Etsuko repeated. Sesshomaru grunted slightly as he nodded, signaling his movements to Etsuko. The girl's eyes tried to look at the demon in wonder, yet still saw nothing. She then smiled and turned her head to the sky. She narrowed her eyes as if trying to see the clouds overhead then frowned. She lowered her head, clutching tightly onto the sleeve of Sesshomaru's robe, leaning into him as she did so. The dog demon, in response placed his arm around the girl's shoulders, adjusting himself as he did so. He looked up to the sky, the golds and oranges of the sunset drifting into blues and purples of the night. Sesshomaru smiled, letting out a chuckle._

"_Yes, white and fluffy," Sesshomaru continued. Etsuko turned her head back to him, the smile returning to her face. Sesshomaru lifted his hand to the air, as if he were going to grab hold of the cloud nearest to them, he then took the other and used it to press Etsuko's face into the fur draped over his shoulder and said, "They look as if you could touch them and they would feel like my cloak, but if you were to fly through them, it feels as if you're being splashed in the face with water." Sesshomaru looked back down at his daughter who now wore a puzzled look on her face. He smiled at her, and teased the child as he pinched her nose. _

_Etsuko narrowed her eyes and wrapped her hands around her father's wrists. A sly smile then began to creep across her little cheeks. "How would you know?" she asked, knowing what was bound to happen, "If they look white and fluffy, then how would you know they're not?"_

_And there she went. If there was one thing Etsuko and Sesshomaru shared, it was their pride, and the dog demon lord was never one to turn down a challenge, especially not one made by his own daughter, no matter how silly it may sound. Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes, searching for the cloud closest to the ground. "How would I know?" the dog demon asked, he then spat out a laugh, "Ha!" With one swift movement, he scooped up the child in his arms and took to the sky as fast as he could; leaving only the time for Etsuko to scream._

"_DADDY! PUT ME DOWN!" The child screamed, half serious, half too engrossed by her own laughter to care. Sesshomaru laughed at her._

"_But if I put you down, you'll fall!" He explained. Etsuko gulped loudly, clutching onto her father's robe tightly. Sesshomaru laughed again. They soared through the air and as they passed through the white mass, he closed his eyes. Etsuko covered her nose and mouth to hold her breath. Sesshomaru couldn't help but smile._

_They passed through the cloud and Sesshomaru's speed slowed until they were practically floating in the air. Etsuko opened her eyes, and took a deep breath as if she had just come up from under the water. She then looked around, slightly confused._

"_What was that, Daddy?" she chirped. Sesshomaru smiled at her, though she couldn't see him._

"_That, my child, was a cloud," he said, kissing her forehead as they floated down. Etsuko nestled her head into her father's shoulder, closing her eyes as if to go to sleep. _

_The wind blew gently, a familiar scent dancing through the wind. Sesshomaru looked up, recognizing this scent. He turned his head to see a silhouetted figure flying towards them. _

"_Etsuko! You didn't let your father off his leash again, did you?" a woman's voice called out. Etsuko looked up, a smile coming to her face._

"_Mother! You're back!" She sang. Sesshomaru continued to lower the two to the ground with Kagura following. He looked up, observing the tentative smile on the wind demon's face. Sesshomaru couldn't help but feel a mixture of emotions well up within him. As always, he was glad Etsuko was happy to see her mother, but ever since that one night under the stars with that woman, Sesshomaru couldn't help but notice how Kagura distanced herself. The only reason Sesshomaru even found out that Kagura had been pregnant was by a chance encounter alone. And though the dog demon had at least tried to make an effort to support her, Kagura distanced herself still, until finally she left the infant child alone with a father who barely knew her. Granted she still visited, but the woman could at least be _there _to watch her daughter grow. Not these petty visits. Sesshomaru sighed to himself knowing that feeling any anger towards Kagura would be helpless. For some reason, the demon still had feelings for her…_

_Etsuko looked up at Sesshomaru, taking notice to his heavy sigh, "What's wrong, Daddy?"_

_Sesshomaru snapped out of his trance and hugged his daughter tightly, "Oh nothing, I was just thinking about something is all."_

"_What kind of something?" Etsuko asked, her curiosity getting the better of her. A horrible thought crossed Sesshomaru's mind, he laughed. Somehow he knew he could ruin the moment for the child's curiosity. Worse still, he went through with it. _

"_Oh, you know. Those thoughts us grownup dogs have when it's _that_ season. The usual," he said, just waiting for the child's reaction. _

_At first, her eyebrows merely knitted together in confusion, her innocence getting the better of her, but then her eyes widened in realization and she covered her ears, squinting her eyes shut. _

"_EW! DADDY! That's not what you're really thinking, is it?" she squealed. Sesshomaru let out a bark of laughter._

"_No, silly! I was only messing with you," the demon said. Etsuko breathed a sigh of relief, but then glared at seemingly nothing in particular. However, Sesshomaru figured the child's angry glance was directed towards him. And he deserved it. He smiled. The child could never stay angry at him for long. It was cute._

"_Alright," Kagura said, thankfully not hearing the entirety of the two's exchange, "what did you do? You're not corrupting our daughter more, are you?" _

_Sesshomaru stiffened, "No," he said. _Our Daughter?_ The demon thought, _Aren't I the one raising this child?

_Kagura narrowed her eyes at him, giving the demon a playful glare, "Uh-huh. Sure. But anyway, Etsuko, how have you been? Has your father been behaving?"_

_Etsuko jumped out of Sesshomaru's arms and ran up to her mother, beginning her tales of everything that happened during Kagura's absence. Again, Sesshomaru couldn't help but notice how Etsuko didn't hug her mother when the two approached each other, much unlike the child's habit of knocking her father over every time she tried to hug him, which was extremely frequent. Again, Sesshomaru felt a mix of emotions at this. Part of him felt that that wasn't right, that Etsuko should feel just as inclined, if not, more inclined to show her mother affection as she did Sesshomaru. Another part of him felt selfish and was thankful that Etsuko showed her love for the dog demon as much as she did. And then somewhere, in the back of his mind, Sesshomaru felt nothing but anger towards Kagura. It served her right that her own daughter couldn't even hug her. But still, Kagura was Etsuko's mother, and Sesshomaru still loved both girls. _

"…_and then Waka showed me this really neat trick yesterday! Daddy hasn't seen it yet, but I wanted to wait until you came back, Mother, so that way you both could see it!" Etsuko's sing-song voice awakened Sesshomaru from his thoughts. He raised his eyebrows, returning to the present._

"_You did, did you?" Kagura asked. By this point she had kneeled down to Etsuko's height, listening intently to the girl's ramblings. Sesshomaru let out a small smile. Etsuko still loved her mother, and Kagura still had love for Etsuko. As far as the dog demon was concerned, that's all that really mattered. _

"_Yeah! Do you wanna see this too, Daddy?" Etsuko asked, anxiously spinning around on her feet. Sesshomaru nodded his head. _

"_Did Waka say you could practice this outside of your lessons?" Sesshomaru asked, well-aware of his daughter's eagerness to improve and learn new things, be it Waka's training, or knowing everything in general. Sometimes her practice outside her lessons went so overboard (with neither Sesshomaru's or Waka's knowledge), that Etsuko would either A: end up breaking something, be it on her own body, or someone else's, B: waste so much energy that she would collapse somewhere in Shinshu field and wouldn't be seen for days before Sesshomaru could finally find her, or C: try to show Sesshomaru her new "trick" and end up losing control, leaving the entire village in ruin. _

_Etsuko thought for a moment, as if she couldn't remember. Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes; the look on the child's face already answered his question. "Yeah," the child said, "I'll be fine."_

"_Etsuko," Sesshomaru groaned, "I didn't ask if you would be alright if you tried this trick, I asked if Waka allowed you to show me this trick outside of your lessons."_

"_That's what I meant," Etsuko lied. Sesshomaru sighed, disappointed. The child didn't have any bad intentions in her fib, and Sesshomaru knew that. The problem was that the child was like her father. She was proud, and didn't want to accept the fact that she might not be strong enough to meet her own expectations. Plus, she wanted to prove to Sesshomaru that she was capable. _

"_Etsuko," Sesshomaru said, "I don't know if I feel comfortable letting you do this in the village. It seems like something your just now learning, and I'd feel better if you got more practice in before you showed this new trick to Mom and me."_

_Etsuko let out a wine, crossing her arms, "But Daaaad! I can do this now!" _

"_I'm sure you can," Sesshomaru said, "but I still don't feel comfortable trying something you just learned yesterday inside the village."_

"_But-!" _

"_No 'buts'. If you want, Mom and I can stick around for a bit during your lesson and you can show us then."_

"_Oh, come on, Sesshomaru!" Kagura suddenly scolded, "If Etsuko wants to show us what she's learning, why discourage her? It won't do any harm to practice anyway. That's how you get better, afterall."_

_Sesshomaru glared at Kagura. Damn, that woman could be so ignorant at times. Does she even pay attention to her own child? "Not in the village it's not," the demon said, "The things Waka's been teaching Etsuko are just not safe. If she's going to practice, then she needs careful supervision. At least until she's mastered it."_

"_Gee, aren't parents supposed to supervise?" Kagura retorted, "I mean, we're _watching_ her, aren't we?"_

"_We don't even know what this trick is, Kagura! How are we supposed to supervise Etsuko if we don't even know what she's doing? Right now, we're spectators, not supervisors. If this were something I taught her, that would be different," Sesshomaru scolded back. Kagura let out a growl and grit her teeth._

"_Just let her do it once, Sesshomaru. It'll be fine," Kagura chided. Normally Sesshomaru would succumb to the woman's persuasion. But after the last time Etsuko tried to pull one of her stunts for them…he didn't want to see his daughter in so much pain again. Even if her arm healed in a day._

"_No, Kagura! Etsuko can show us tomorrow. If you can even wait that long!" The dog demon growled. Kagura jumped back, her form faltering slightly. Sesshomaru had hit a nerve. Good. If she could feel guilty about her absence, then maybe she could learn to stick around, if not for him, then for Etsuko._

"_Guys, please stop arguing," Etsuko begged. She stepped in between the two, as if to break up a fight. Sesshomaru suddenly froze, realizing what he had said in front of her. Tears hung delicately at the corners of the child's eyes. A pang of guilt struck Sesshomaru violently. He knelt down, wrapping his arm around the child's shoulders._

"_I'm sorry, Etsuko," Sesshomaru said, "I didn't mean to sound so angry at your mother. I'm just a grumpy old hound is all." Etsuko nodded, lowering her head as she wiped her eyes, letting out a sniffle. _

"_It's okay…" she mumbled. _

"_Well," Kagura said, trying to redirect the subject, "it's getting late, how about we go have some dinner?" _

**Etsuko**

I clutched onto Amaterasu's fur tightly, screaming.

"Hey, we're on land," Issun said. I failed to hear him over my own screams. Issun groaned and screamed, "PUP!"

I yelped, falling off the wolf's back. A moment of panic took over me before I realized I was on solid ground. Well, more like sifting sand, but I could still see. And I wasn't drowning. I stood shakily, looking around. Odd, for some reason I could see the entire Ocean floor. It was as if a whole other opened up to me. I began to walk around.

"What is this?" I asked in half wonder.

"The water pushed back from the ship thanks to some seal," Issun said, "the tide recedes at night, giving us access to the sunken ship, that way Rao can get her weapon. Not like she doesn't have two already…"

"What?"

"Nothing."

I rolled my eyes, "Whatever. So where's this ship again?"

I heard the sound of Issun smacking his hand to his face, "Right in front of you, dipwad."

I paused for a moment. Thanks to the sand, my vision was fuzzy, I strained, but I was finally able to recognize the shape of a large object…most likely the ship. "Right," I said, "Well, what are we waiting for? We don't have all night!"

"Actually we do…" Issun said.

"You know what I mean," I growled back. I followed Amaterasu as she hopped up on a group of rocks. I did the same until we made it to the ship's entrance, climbing through a hole in the bottom. The wood creaked as I stepped inside, threatening to cave in if I stepped the wrong way. Something amazed me as I stood in the ship.

Not only could I see what was around me, but I could see the e_ntire _ship. Even the ceiling! From the ropes at the top deck, to the stair cases behind the door with the evil seal on it…

Wait…

That seal. I stepped back for a moment, sensing a horrible presence emitting from it. The seal was huge, in the shape of Kanji that said "FORBIDDEN". But not only that, I could see it. And I mean, really, actually, _see it_. With my _eyes._ For a moment I was taken aback, completely confused. If I focused solely on seeing through my eyes, it was like looking at a light in a pit of darkness. All I could see was that light. The seal itself was a dark lavender in color, and the light surrounding it was a blood red, slowly spreading out from its center.

_What is the matter, Etsuko?_ Amaterasu asked. I shook my head.

"It's just that…I can see the seal," I explained, "but not like I normally do. I mean, I can see it as a light. But it's a dark light. Something…horrible."

Amaterasu cocked her head, confused, _You have a spirit eye?_

"A what?" I asked. That was when another voice appeared.

"A spirit eye," a woman said behind me. I turned around and discovered a priestess standing behind me. Her voice was soft and delicate, and her body was extremely curved. I knew this voice. I never forgot a voice: Priestess Rao. The priestess continued, "it is the ability to see those not from this world. It is an extremely holy power, often used by priests and priestesses who have been blinded of the physical world due to their old age. But for a demon to possess this ability, that is something new to me."

"Priestess Rao," I said, bowing to the woman, hesitant to approach knowing how her holy powers were really good at being a demon repellent, "It's been so long. Do you even remember me?"

"Of course, I do, child, how could I ever forget you? The kind young demon girl who came to me years ago. I must admit it was quite odd to run into a demon seeking help from a priestess. And to be a blind demon at that," Rao said as if she were thinking hard of something. I narrowed my eyes. She had the same voice, the same light footsteps, and she spoke the same way, but something about Miss Rao was…different. Her scent was off. It was still her scent, but it was more like her scent was masking someone else's. I couldn't quite put my finger on it.

"Nice, Pup! Who knew you had holy powers! Haha, talk about a contradiction right there!" Issun laughed. I stuck my tongue out at the bug.

"Pup?" Rao asked, "is that what they call you?"

I narrowed my eyes at Rao, "No," I said, "I still go by my real name. That's just Issun being Issun." That was weird…Rao knew that using dog-names for dog demons was considered derogatory. The only reason I let it slide with Issun was because I knew he was too ignorant to know any better. But Rao…that was a different story. Something was definitely wrong.

"Hey…Issun?" I whispered. At first the bug was too busy gawking at Rao's breasts to even hear me. The Priestess herself was examining the seal intently. I groaned and tried again: "Issun!"

Issun jumped angrily and turned, "What?"

"Come here," I whispered again, watching Rao's movements. I could only hope she didn't hear me. Amaterasu walked over to me, curious. Reluctantly the bug hopped onto my shoulders.

"The hell do you want?" he griped. I ignored the attitude and continued.

"Are you sure we can trust this woman?" I whispered again, eyeing Rao. She still didn't hear me. Good. Issun folded his arms, possibly giving me a mean look.

"Of course we can! She's Queen Himiko's agent-lady!" he declared, "Can't you see those melons?"

"No," I said bluntly.

"Right," Issun mumbled, "But why ask? You already said you know her. She tried to help you, didn't she? What's there not to trust?"

"Um, I don't think that's the same Rao who helped me, Issun," I explained, uncertain how to explain myself.

"What?" Issun whispered harshly, "You mean to say you can't tell two different people apart? Is this Rao, or isn't she?"

"No, no," I corrected, "I mean, she's the same person as Rao. Her footsteps are right and her voice is spot-on. It's just…something seems…different about her. I don't really like it."

"Yeah, right," Issun said, "Your just jealous because this babe is hotter than you, that's all. Relax. She's not going to kill us. Unless of course…she accidently squashed me with those things in bed…"

_Issun!_ Amaterasu scolded.

"Sorry, sorry," Issun said, raising his hands in front of him. Amaterasu let out a sigh.

_I agree that we should stay on guard, Etsuko,_ the wolf then said, turning her attention towards me, _but so far she hasn't given us any reason not to trust her. Let's continue on. If I sense anything suspicious about her, I will let you know._

"Okay, okay," I said, glaring. I watched the priestess intently. She was up to something. But that something I couldn't quite figure out.

Oh, but I would.

* * *

Dun, dun DUUUUN! So what will Etsuko find out? Eh...not like most of you don't already know ;) Now what of Sesshomaru? And how did those two come to think the other was dead? All will be revieled...in the NEXT chapter! Maybe...


	7. Chapter 6

Well, my apologies for my constantly oh, so sparatic appearances, disappearances, and reappearances (that is if anybody out there in concerened for my well-being XD) but after fighting the flukes of life and working on my NaNoWriMo novel I finally sat down and finished my much-anticipated chapter 7 (though I hate to dissapoint and say we still have yet to get to the juicy parts)

Anyway,

ENJOI

* * *

**Sesshomaru**

"_Um, Lord Sesshomaru?" Jaken asked quietly. Sesshomaru sighed and glared at the small demon. The two sat in the comforts of the small house atop the highest point in Kamiki. The house in which Sesshomaru had spent so many nights with his child, telling her stories, watching her sleep, Sesshomaru sighed, wondering where the time went. _

"_What is it, Jaken?" he asked, taking note to how quiet the other demon was being. He had a feeling he knew where this was leading._

"_Well, it's just…" Jaken began, twiddling his fingers, "Do you really think we can trust that Kagura? I mean, it's not like she actually cares about your daughter, or even you for that matter—not saying that you're not important, Milord, I just—"_

"_Jaken," Sesshomaru cut off. The little frog jumped and eyed his lord in fear. Sesshomaru sighed, his eyes drifting to the other side of the sliding doors that separated the main part of the house from the sleeping quarters. The candle lit in the other room displayed the two silhouettes of Kagura tucking Etsuko into bed. Words were exchanged on the other side of the door, but unheard to Jaken's ears, and barely made out by Sesshomaru's. From what he could hear, the dog demon sighed. Etsuko was asking her mother to stay with them longer. As usual, Kagura made up some excuse as to why she couldn't stay, just for an extra night. Sesshomaru grit his teeth, oh how the woman could make his blood boil. "Whether we can or not, that still does not change the fact that she is Etsuko's mother," Sesshomaru stated, redirecting his attention toward Jaken. _

"_Yes, but still! That woman brings nothing but trouble!" Jaken groaned, "If you ask me we should just-!"_

"_Just what?" a voice awakened. Jaken looked up and screamed, hiding behind Sesshomaru. Kagura was now standing just outside the sliding door, behind her, Etsuko slept peacefully. Sesshomaru sighed. This wouldn't end well; he just hoped that Etsuko wouldn't have to hear what was to come. _

"_Uh! Uh! N-n-nothing!" Jaken squealed, fidgeting wildly. Kagura averted her eyes to the dog demon, and the two stared at each other for a long time. _

"_Oh, I get it," Kagura said, narrowing her eyes, "You'd rather me leave, wouldn't you? You don't think I'm fit to be the mother of your daughter, now do you Sesshomaru? Am I unworthy or something? Well, I'll have you know, Etsuko seems to think I'm enough!"_

_Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes, suppressing a growl, "Don't put words into my mouth, Kagura. I never said that. And if you are enough for Etsuko, then why not stay with her?"_

_Kagura stepped back, gritting her teeth, "Sesshomaru, I told you! I just can't. I can't say why but I…I can't."_

_Sesshomaru stood, his anger reaching a peak, "Then if you can't stay, don't come back!"_

_Kagura's eyes widened, shock visibly overwhelming her, "Sesshomaru…what did you…?"_

"_You heard me," Sesshomaru said coldly, "These so-called visits…you think they're okay, but you do nothing but hurt Etsuko more with each one! At this point it's almost better if you don't…" Sesshomaru stopped himself, growling. He couldn't bring himself to finish. Kagura stared at the dog demon in horror for a moment before slowly standing. _

"_If I don't what, Sesshomaru?" she asked. Sesshomaru glared at her, not daring to finish. Kagura gritted her teeth, a tear hanging in the corner of her eye. She growled and grabbed Sesshomaru fiercely by the shoulders, shaking him, "Answer me!"_

"_If you don't come back, Kagura," the dog demon finished hesitantly. The two remained silent for a long time. Kagura pursed her lips. Sesshomaru stared at her. Kagura slowly backed away from him, trembling. Sesshomaru stared at her. _

"_You can't be serious," she said lowly. Sesshomaru merely glared at her. _

"_I will no longer watch my daughter cry because her mother doesn't give a damn enough to stay for a day longer," he finally spat. Kagura jumped, looking at Sesshomaru suspiciously._

"_S-she does not," Kagura argued. It took all of the demon's willpower not to kill the woman right there._

"_Like you know anything!" he suddenly roared, grabbing hold of Kagura's neck. _

_It was then, when Etsuko erupted into a blood curdling scream. _

* * *

**Etsuko**

_I remember hearing my parents fight that night. Mother tucked me in that night and I asked her how long she was staying. _

"_Well," mother began, tracing circles with her finger around my blanket, "I don't know. I'll have to leave soon though."_

"_But can't you stay with us forever, Mother?" I asked. Mother remained silent for a long time. For a moment, I had managed to trick myself into thinking that she was considering staying. All I did was get my hopes up. _

"_I'm sorry, Etsuko…" Mother sighed, "It's hard to explain, but I have things to do. Important things. It's safer if you stay with your father."_

_My heart sank, yet I still forced a smile, "It's okay, Mother. I understand."_

_Mother nodded, stroking my cheek with her hand, "Good girl. Thank you, Etsuko. I'll visit when I can, okay?"_

"_Okay," I said. I waited for her to kiss my forehead, but instead she stood to leave the room. I turned to my side, facing away from her, silently letting a tear escape my eye. _

_Mommy didn't love me. _

_The door slid shut, following the sounds of voices reaching my ears. At first it was quiet, but all the sudden, I heard a loud thud and the sound of my father's growl. I sat up. Oh no, Daddy wasn't angry with Mother again, was he? _

_Quietly, I crawled across the floor, finding the sliding Tatami door and gently grabbed hold of it. I slid it open ever so slightly, listening to the conversation._

"_You can't be serious," Mother's voice whispered, upset. _

"_I will no longer watch my daughter cry because her mother doesn't give a damn enough to stay for a day longer," Daddy spat. I jumped. Oh no, he _had _seen my tears! I covered my mouth, suppressing a whimper. Daddy was angry. He didn't want Mother around anymore, and it was all my fault. _

How sad it is, Etsuko… _A voice whispered. _

_I jumped, turning instinctually. From what I could tell, nobody was behind me. But I had never heard that voice before. It was deep and velvety, yet it had a chilling tone in it. Something that would make people run and scream. _

"_Who's there?" I whispered, fear etching into my voice. _

You're parents hate each other, and it's all your fault. And you know what's worse? They're going to die!_ The voice laughed menacingly. My heart stopped for a moment. My blood ran cold. I screamed. The voice laughed again, _I'm coming for you, Etsuko…!

_Just then father rushed into the room, wrapping his arms around me tightly. I blindly thrashed and screamed, terrified of the stranger's warning. _

"_HE'S COMING DADDY! HE'S COMING! DON'T LET HIM COME, DADDY!" I sobbed. Daddy held me tightly, scooping me into his arms. I continued to wail and scream, trying to warn them to get away. _

"_Who's coming? Etsuko! What do you mean?" Father pleaded, sorrow tainting his voice. He was scared. I was scared. The man was coming. _

"_THE MAN! THE BAD MAN! HE'S GOING TO KILL YOU DADDY!" I sobbed, "Don't let him come!" Father held me tightly, caressing my hair. _

"_Shh, it's alright Etsuko," he whispered, his nerves still shaken, "It's just a bad dream, that's all. There is nothing coming for us. We're safe here."_

"_N-no!" I whimpered, "He's coming! I don't know who he is but—"_

"_Etsuko," Mother suddenly asked. Her body trembled, "who is this man?"_

"_Kagura," Daddy scolded._

"_Etsuko, please tell me," Mother begged. I sniffled, clutching onto Daddy's robe tightly. The tears streamed out of my eyes. I didn't want to lose my daddy. And I didn't want Mother to die. I shook my head. How would I know who he was?_

"_Please don't leave me, Daddy," I whimpered, closing my eyes. Father stroked my hair gently, coasting me into sleep. _

"_Jaken," he suddenly said. The frog suddenly awakened, running to Daddy's side._

"_Yes, Milord?" Jaken asked. _

"_Go outside and find where the dragon is," Daddy said, "tell him he is to keep watch for the night, and if he sees anything suspicious, to shoot it down."_

_Jaken jumped in surprised, "B-but, Lord Sesshomaru! Don't you think that's a bit rash?"_

"_Just do it, Jaken!" Father barked. I jumped and clung to him tighter, shaking. In response, Daddy pressed my head against his chest, holding me tightly. _

"_Y-yes, Milord!" And with that, Jaken left to do as he was told. _

"_What do you think we should do, Sesshomaru?" Mother asked. Daddy turned his head towards her and sighed. _

"_Go to sleep, both of you," Daddy said, he then stood with me still in his arms, and took me back to my bed, "It wouldn't do us any good to worry over a nightmare."_

"_Then why do I get this distinct feeling that that's just what you're about to do?" Mother inquired. Father tensed._

"_Do not concern yourself over me, Kagura. I will handle this," Daddy said. He then placed me gently under my covers, pulling the blankets up to my nose. He placed his hand on my cheek, and I placed my hand over his. _

"_You'll be okay, right Daddy?" I asked, the tears still stinging my eyes. Daddy kissed my forehead._

"_I won't let anything happen to you, understand?" he said gently. I nodded and closed my eyes. Slowly drifting asleep._

* * *

**Sesshomaru**

_Night passed on as the moon rose to its highest point in the sky. Sesshomaru sighed. All was quiet. Despite her fright hours ago, Etsuko now slept peacefully, her expression relaxed as the child was engulfed in pleasant dreams. Kagura slept with her arms wrapped around Etsuko, guarding the child. The dog demon stood, stepping outside. He walked along the outside of the house until he reached the point atop their cliff side that overlooked the village. Kamiki, as always, was quiet, the hustle and bustle of the humble daytime giving way to the silence of night. Sesshomaru then turned to the dragon that stood watch. _

"_You see anything?" Sesshomaru asked quietly. The large demon turned its right head and let out a moan, shaking is massive head. Sesshomaru sighed, gently placing his hand on the head's snout, rubbing it gently. "Thank you for your troubles," Sesshomaru said, sighing, "Forgive me, it seems you've stood watch for nothing." _

_As if to say, "Don't worry about it, it wasn't for nothing," the dragon let out a low moan and the two heads took turns licking his master. Sesshomaru quietly took both hands and rubbed the back of the dragon's ears. Both heads, in response closed their eyes, tired. _

"_Yet still, I sense a terrible aura approaching," Sesshomaru said more to himself than the dragon. The dragon shrugged slightly, its eyes growing heavy. Sakuya most likely sensed the aura as well, Sesshomaru figured, and she would use her powers to dispel it, as she did with most demons who sought to attack the humans in her land. Still, the dog demon couldn't help but wonder…_

"_It's alright now," Sesshomaru told the dragon, "you need your rest. Go to sleep now."_

_The dragon gladly obeyed Sesshomaru's orders and rested its heads on the ground, drifting into sleep. It wasn't often that Sesshomaru asked for such duty of the dragon, yet it still gladly obeyed its master. Sesshomaru sighed again, leaning against the dragon's massive body. If whatever this thing was was going to come after Etsuko, he would most likely do it at night when Sesshomaru wasn't looking. All the demon had to do was wait. _

_The night wore on, and eventually Sesshomaru had fallen into a light slumber, fatigue overpowering him. It wasn't long after that when it happened. The monster had made its move, and Sesshomaru was suddenly stirred awake by the sound of a loud explosion. _

_Sesshomaru jumped to his feet, running towards the house. He stopped for a moment, staring in shock. The house had caught fire; half of it had already collapsed from the explosion. Oh, no…how could he let this happen?_

"_ETSUKO!" Sesshomaru roared, running into the flaming home, "ETSUKO! CAN YOU HEAR ME?" He called out. The girl managed to scream in response._

"_DADDY! HELP!" The child screamed, "MOMMY!"_

"_Oh no," Sesshomaru whispered. Not Kagura! The demon covered his nose with the sleeve of his cloak, trying not to breath in the suffocating smoke, while using the other hand to shove the burning wood away as fast as he could. "Etsuko! Where are you?" _

"_Over here!" The girl screamed. Through the smoke and flames, he could see a small hand reach out for him. _

"_Don't move! I'm coming!" He called back. _

I don't think so,_ a voice hissed. Sesshomaru jumped, turning._

"_Who's there?" he asked. _

_No response. _

_Dammit! How could he let this happen? Sesshomaru tried shoving the thoughts aside. All that mattered was saving Etsuko and Kagura. Nothing more. _

_He could barely make out Etsuko's tear-stained face through the smoke. He reached his hand out for the child and said, "Grab onto me!" Etsuko let out a cry and began to crawl towards Sesshomaru. She reached for his hand. Their fingertips brushed against each other when it took him. _

I don't think so!_ the voice growled. Something wrapped itself around his waist and pulled Sesshomaru away from the girl and out of the house. _

"_NOO!" Sesshomaru roared. He then reached behind him and swung his poison fang wildly at his attacker, "DAMN YOU!" He caught a glimpse of it then. A masked face. That of a painted fox. Two brush-tipped tails held the demon tightly, while seven others whipped ferociously behind him. The creature released him and let out a screeching roar. It withdrew its tails, which disappeared in the darkness. _

You're a fool Sesshomaru,_ the creature hissed, the darkness taking shape around its mask, transforming into a woman's body. The voice slowly began to twist into that of a woman's—one of a priestess the demon had met not months before._

"_Rao," Sesshomaru spat, "So it seems your body has been overtaken by a demon."_

"_How very perceptive of you, Sesshomaru," the creature said. It lifted its mask, revealing the priestess's face. The blue prayer beads around her neck had been tainted, turned to a blood red, reeking of demonic aura and blood, "However, I am not demon. I am far worse. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a curse to lift, If you know what I mean."_

"_You bitch!" Sesshomaru cursed, lunging towards the demon to strike. Rao in turn melted into the shadows, disappearing. Moments later, he heard Etsuko scream. _

"_DADDY! SHE HAS MOMMY!" _

"_No!" Sesshomaru growled, running back into the house. The frame began collapsing as he did. He looked up, clawing at the flaming wood, knocking it out of the way. He shoved his way into the house, calling Etsuko's name over and over again. Each time her screams grew fainter, becoming replaced by suffocated coughs. He found Kagura first, who was struggling in the monster's grasp, trapped in the tails that swished threateningly behind Rao. _

"_Hmph," Rao observed. Kagura let out a scream as the priestess crushed her within its tails, "He wants me to kill this wench? But her heart's elsewhere. Oh, I guess I could always return her to him. It'll have to do."_

"_Just what the hell are you talking about?" Sesshomaru growled, raising his claws. Rao turned her attention back to Sesshomaru._

"_My, you are a stubborn old dog, aren't you," Rao observed, "Unfortunately, my equal does not want you killed just yet so I can't kill you. Otherwise our deal is off."_

"_Just what the hell are you blabbering about?" Kagura growled, "Who the hell sent you?"_

_Rao smirked, her eyes flashing a blood red, "Oh, you already know who he is, my dear. Sadly, he can't trust you anymore. I predict you'll be on a much tighter leash after this. Especially for bearing that dog's child."_

"_What?" Kagura gasped, only to be crushed again by the tails. Sesshomaru growled charging towards Rao._

"_She does not belong on a leash, you wench!" Sesshomaru roared, slicing through Rao's tails. The priestess howled in pain, stepping back. Kagura dropped to the ground coughing. _

"_Kagura," Sesshomaru said, placing a hand on her back. The woman in turn shot Sesshomaru a nasty glare._

"_How dare you save me!" she growled, "Do you have any idea what you have done?"_

_Sesshomaru gave Kagura a quizzical look, "What?"_

"_Go find Etsuko! Hurry! I'll be fine!" Kagura ordered. Without hesitation, Seshsomaru took off searching for Etsuko. He overturned every piece of wood that fell in his way. _

"_Daddy!" Etsuko's small voice called out weakly. He was close, he could feel it. _

"_Etsuko!" He called back, searching still. _

"_What a bother, Rao said, following him. She dragged Kagura with her. Kagura looked up, taking her fan out and struck the priestess with all her power. Rao didn't even budge. Instead she took her hand and struck Kagura upside the head as hard as she could._

"_I thought you said you could handle this yourself," another voice suddenly awakened. A voice tainted in darkness, just as wicked as the monster who overtook Rao. _

"_I can, these morons are just more stubborn than I originally thought," Rao said. She dropped Kagura's limp form to the ground, and began to bind her. The other figure, though Sesshomaru could not see, chuckled, and made his way over to Sesshomaru. The dog demon paused, turning towards the shadowed form. _

"_You cannot save her," the man informed. Sesshomaru gritted his teeth, striking the man hard across the chest._

"_You will be silent!" he roared, throwing the man aside. Strangely, he did not fight Sesshomaru. He merely watched. Was the demon's attempt really that helpless? No. Sesshomaru would not succumb to such a hopeless state. He would save Etsuko. He would save Kagura. And he would rip that man to shreds._

_He could see Etsuko clearly now. The girl was curled in a ball, trembling. She held her throat, coughing. _

"_Etsuko!" He called out, running towards the girl. Etsuko looked up. For the first time, her eyes locked onto his. _

"_Daddy," Etsuko moaned weakly, reaching her hand out towards him, "I can't…I can't breathe!" _

"_Save your strength, Etsuko," Sesshomaru said softly, kneeling down towards the girl. He held her tightly. He had to get out of here. Sesshomaru looked up. The roof was just moments from caving in on them. He needed to leave. He needed to run. _

_And yet he couldn't._

_Just as the demon stood, he was taken away from his child once more. A large gray tentacle reached out and stole Etsuko from his arms, and throwing the child elsewhere. Etsuko screamed. Sesshomaru turned to face the shadowed man once more. He growled ferociously. _

_Nobody was going to take Etsuko away from him! Nobody!_

"_You bastard!" Kagura screamed, regaining consciousness in Rao's arms. Rao sighed. She walked over to the man and handed the woman to him. _

"_You take her," Rao said, "I will finish this."_

_And with that, Kagura and the man disappeared, along with any of Sesshomaru's hopes. He braced himself, sure that he was going to die. Rao's eyes began to glow a deep red. She smiled wickedly. The air around her began to swirl, dancing with her dark hair. _

"_Now then, time to end this!" Rao yelled, and something struck Sesshomaru violently in the chest. Like a blade piercing through his skin, yet he could see nothing. His entire insides burned, he was thrown back, and knocked unconscious. _

_His last memory before the darkness was Etsuko's cries, still inside the house, before the flames finally caved in on her. _

* * *

**Etsuko**

"You're all alone,"_ The evil man says. His voice is inside my head. I am surrounded by darkness, _"They are all dead. It's your fault."

* * *

**Sesshomaru**

_When the demon awoke again, it was daybreak. He found a burnt and bleeding form of Jaken screaming, tears in his eyes. _

"_LORD SESSHOMARU! PLEASE WAKE UP!" Jaken whaled. Sesshomaru slowly opened his eyes, pain surging through him. _

"_Jaken," he moaned, temporarily unaware of his surroundings, "What happened?"_

"_Please don't move too much, Milord! Your wounds are terrible!" Jaken pleaded. Sesshomaru swiped the demon away, sitting up. He looked down, examining his body. His white cloak was soaked in blood, and a large gash had imbedded itself deep within his body, even destroying his armor to an extent. It was then when his memories returned. _

"_Etsuko," Sesshomaru breathed. He stood up quickly, searching his surroundings, "Where is Etsuko?"_

_The sight before him was that of horror. Where a humble house once proudly stood, a pile of torn, charred, and black wood laid strewn about. The once grassy cliff side was now dead and reduced to ash and dust. Sesshomaru's eyes widened, he looked around, searching for the child. _

"_Etsuko?" He called out, "Etsuko!" _

"_M-milord," Jaken began to weep. Sesshomaru ignored the toad and continued searching. He began searching the ground; there was no sign of her. Then, he quickly began to overturn every single piece of wood, searching for any sign of life. Behind him, he could see villagers who had overheard the commotion the night before begin to gather. The Sake Brewer was the first to step forward._

"_Lord Sesshomaru! You're hurt, what happened here?" the woman asked. Sesshomaru ignored her, searching still. The Brewer tried again, "Sesshomaru? What happened to little Etsuko? Is she alright?"_

_At that Sesshomaru stopped, tensing up considerably. A growl escaped his mouth. "Leave this place," he warned. The Sake Brewer stepped back slightly, confused. Sesshomaru turned, glaring hatefully at the villagers, "LEAVE!" _

_The group jumped, some began to mumble sadly as if to pay their respects and turned away, until only the Sake Brewer and the village elder remained. _

"_Kushi," Mr. Orange said, placing a hand on her shoulder, "it's best if you left here."_

_Kushi sadly nodded and obeyed. Mr. Orange Stepped forward. _

"_Sesshomaru, let me help you," the elder begged. Sesshomaru had suddenly been taken back fifty years, to a time when that old man was a boy, making the exact same mistake he did now. _

"_Don't you understand, you fool? YOU CAN'T HELP ME!" Sesshomaru roared, swiping his claws at the human, though he didn't injure the man. _

"_Sesshomaru, I—"_

"_GO!" _

_Mr. Orange looked down sadly, his shoulders sagging. He lifted his hands in prayer and said, "may she rest in peace…" _

_Sesshomaru turned away then, fighting back the tears. No, she wasn't dead. She couldn't be dead! Sesshomaru kept searching. It was then, when a familiar groan escaped the dragon's mouth. _

"_Quiet you!" Jaken screeched, "can't you see we are busy?" _

_Sesshomaru lifted his head to see the dragon digging intently at a pile of wood. Its focus was something Sesshomaru had not seen in the dragon before. He walked over to him._

"_What is it?" Sesshomaru asked, observing the pile of wood the dragon dug its claws at. The dragon in response let out a sad groan, a tear escaping one of the head's eyes. Sesshomaru's heart stopped. He bent over, shoving the wood out of the way, when he came across the child's body. _

_Etsuko lay there, unmoving. Her unseeing eyes stared upward, yet she laid there as if to sleep. _

"_No," Sesshomaru whispered. He gently lifted the girl into his arms. Her head rocked back slightly, and the demon heard shifting of several bones that had been broken and smashed. Her limp body, cradled in Sesshomaru's arms, was broken. _

"_No, no, no!" Sesshomaru growled. He drew his Tenseiga, desperate. He had never used the sword. In fact, he was certain he didn't even know how to use the sword. But he had seen his father use it. He knew the sword's purpose. He placed Etsuko back on the ground, holding the sword over her body. The sword suddenly pulsed in his hand. Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes. Was that it? No, when Father used it, he had to cut something. Something only he could see. _

_Yet Sesshomaru saw nothing. He stared at his sword for a long time, waiting for Etsuko to somehow be revived. _

_One minute,_

_Two minutes,_

_Ten minutes. _

_Sesshomaru's hand shook. The Tenseiga pulsed again, and yet it still did nothing. Tears welled in the demon's eyes, and yet he could not shed them. _

"_You could not stop him," Sesshomaru said, his voice shaking. His hand began to tremble more violently, the air around him began to swirl uncomfortably. Sesshomaru's eyes turned a blood-red, ready to transform. "You could not save her," Sesshomaru said to the sword. He then clenched the hilt tightly and threw it as hard as he could, "You piece of SHIT!" _

"_L-Lord Sesshomaru?" Jaken wept, his attention turned towards Etsuko. Sesshomaru looked back down at the child's body. He pursed his lips, then knelt down beside the child, and closed her eyes. He then searched the remains of the house, and found Etsuko's favorite doll. The doll had been hand-woven by Kagura. The sewing job itself was sloppy, but the doll was made out of a soft material, dark hair sewn onto its head, and a smile painted on its face. He picked up the doll, and the burnt remains of the blanket Etsuko slept under at night. He scooped up Etsuko in his arms one last time, he didn't have the heart to bury her; the villagers could do that for him. Instead he walked over to the tree Etsuko had played under not even a day before. He laid the girl down under the tree, placed the doll over her chest and folded her arms over herself in a hug around the doll. He then placed the blanket over the child, covering her body. Etsuko's smiling face continued to flash through his mind. He stared down at the child, her face was relaxed, but fear still tore at the girl's expression. She couldn't smile any more. She would never smile again. _

_Sesshomaru then stood; his sorry slowly being replaced with anger. Those monsters would pay for what they had done. And yet Sesshomaru could do nothing to stop them. He needed to become stronger. He needed a sword. Not the useless Tenseiga that couldn't even save his own daughter! He needed the other sword his father left behind. The Tetsusaiga. The one sword powerful enough to kill those monsters. And yet there lay just one problem: Sesshomaru had no means of finding it. For one, the sword had been left to the half-demon who stole his birth right: Inuyasha, the very demon who had lost his heart to a priestess. For another, it was that same half-demon who held the key to finding the sword. Sesshomaru balled his hands into fists. No matter, he'd have to find another way to get the sword. And he wouldn't rest until he did so._

"_Jaken," Sesshomaru said, his heart turning to a stone cold hatred, never to feel compassion again._

_Jaken jumped up from his sorrow and watched his master quizzically, "Yes, Milord?"_

"_We're leaving," Sesshomaru said. With that, he turned, staring at the Tenseiga, anger welling within him. He hesitantly grabbed hold of the sword and sheathed it, leaving the village forever._

_And with it, his heart. _

* * *

**Etsuko**

_But I am not dead._

"You're all alone,"_ The evil man says. His voice is inside my head. I am surrounded by darkness, _"They are all dead. It's your fault."

_It's my fault. I am not dead. I should be. I open my eyes. It is still dark. I sit up. I still cannot see. I could never see. Smoke lingers in the air. The fire is gone. My house is gone. My parents are gone. I am alone. I am alive. I should not be alive. _

"Etsuko! Hey! Wake up!" Issun called out. I jumped, regaining my awareness.

"Huh? What?" I asked, looking around. I was still on the ship.

"You okay?" Issun asked apprehensively, "You zoned out for a bit there. What happened?"

I sat up. Had I fallen? Amaterasu and Issun both stared down at me, I had been lying on my back. I remember drifting into a daydream, but I hadn't remembered collapsing.

"I dunno," I mumbled, rubbing my head, "How long was I out?"

"A good few minutes, actually," Issun said, his bouncing all but stopped. His small hands shook slightly. It was then when I had noticed something.

"D-did you just call me Etsuko?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. Issun jumped.

"What? When?" Issun stuttered, caught off guard.

I pointed at him, "When I woke up I heard you say my actual name. You called me Etsuko," I said, a sly smile forming across my face.

"N-no! Why the hell would I do that?" Issun asked, folding his arms across his chest, "It's just you weren't responding when I called you Pup, so I thought I'd try your real name! That's all!"

"So you did call me Etsuko!" I said, smacking my fist into my hand. If I could see it, I was sure Issun was shooting me a death glare.

"Shut up! It's not everyday someone collapses on the ground! You had me—er, I mean, I had to make sure you were okay!" Issun retorted. He just kept digging himself a hole.

"So you were worried about me, then?"

"NO!"

_Issun was worried about you,_ Amaterasu chimed in.

"I was not!" Issun bounced furiously. I laughed. It was a carefree laugh, one I hadn't felt come up in ages. It took me a moment to realize it, but all the sudden I found myself on the outside looking in, watching as I interacted with two people I could actually call friends. Even though we were inside a cursed ship surrounded by water, I couldn't have been happier. I was so happy, that I had almost forgotten Rao was still with us.

"Excuse me, Great Amaterasu, but we're coming up to a room, could you come take a look?" the priestess asked. The three of us turned to face the priestess, coming back to reality. I stood with the help of the wolf and we walked into a room, moss lingered on the wooden ground, unlike the hardwood floors of the rest of the ship. Wind blew in this room, suggesting that the roof had been blown out, revealing the night sky.

"Nice," Issun whistled. I looked up, straining to see what the others saw. Yet still, I saw nothing.

"Amazing," Rao whispered, "to think that this ship can still show its beauty at night." Amaterasu nodded and began to look around. A high ledge ended the room, but the remains of a ladder hung off it, leading to a hallway further down. I reached up and jumped, trying to reach the ladder, yet even I couldn't grasp hold of the rung. I fell back down, my feet sliding against a barrel encased in the floor before hitting my butt.

"Gagh!" I yelped as I landed. I stood again, rubbing my ass in pain. Well that didn't work. Issun hopped off Amaterasu's head and began looking around. He signaled for us to come to him, and we did as we were told.

"Check this out," Issun said, pointing to the other side of the bars that seemed to finish the side wall of the room, "It's like some sort of weight thing," he noted. I noticed it too. The contraption hung over the bars, splitting the room we stood in from the one next to it, on our side, I noticed that the barrel I tripped over was attached to the contraption, but the other side had nothing more than the hooks and chains it was made out of. I looked into the other room. Some disgusting mass of demon gasped for air in the other room, as if he could only survive in water, but strips of wood built up to serve as some sort of board-walk made up the second floor of the room, at the end of one bridge stood a barrel.

"Look over there," I pointed through the bars, "there's the other barrel."

Issun let out a groan, "Ugh, so how the hell are we supposed to get all the way over there? I mean, it looks like those hallways lead to the other side of that wall in the first room we walked in on this blasted ship, and it's too high to jump up!"

"Not unless you swam," I said. Issun and Amaterasu both looked at me blankly. I shook my head, "Okay, so you guys remember those strips of wood lying about in that first room? Well, since wood floats, you could wait for the tide to come back in and use those pieces of wood as a platform to jump over the wall."

_That is a good idea, Issun, shall we try it?_ Amaterasu asked. I folded my arms across my chest, smiling in triumph. Haha! Etsuko did something useful after all!

"Yeah," Issun said, thinking. My proud posture sagged immediately. Damn, somehow that bug was going to find a way to foil my idea, "But what, are we supposed to wait until the sun comes up? I'm not patient enough for that!"

_Hmm, _Amaterasu and I sighed. And there he went, foiling my idea. _Don't worry Issun, you don't have to be patient._

Issun and I both looked at Amaterasu in confusion, but then the wolf turned her head to the sky, and a faint light drifted into my sight. I stared in awe as the light formed a circle, and a familiar chill ran up my spine as if the sun were rising.

"Of course!" Issun shouted, "The Celestial Brush! Nice one, Ammy!"

_Once we have fixed the barrel, I will make it night again, _Amaterasu said. Issun hopped on her head smugly.

"And after that we can use that barrel to reach the hallway up there!" He said. By this point Rao had turned to us, her head continuously turning towards the sky and back to the wolf.

"Amaterasu, was this all your doing? My, your powers are truly magnificent," the priestess said as she hopped onto the wolf's back. I rolled my eyes.

"Yeah, yeah, save your flattery," I scoffed, my nose twitching in the woman's stench as she passed.

"Lighten, up, will ya?" Issun asked. He then patted his head onto Amaterasu's head, "Hop on! Let's get going!"

I nodded and walked over to the wolf, ready to sit on her back behind Rao, but as my hand touched the priestess's shoulders something stopped me. It was as if the woman's aura had pushed me away violently. But it was unlike her pure aura from my childhood. My blood suddenly ran cold and I backed away, darkness threatening to envelop me. Issun noticed this.

"Hey, Pup," Issun said, a suspicious tone etching his voice, "Everything okay? You seem kind of pale."

"Y-yeah," I said, shaking my sudden fear off. I tried again to sit on Amaterasu's back, but was threatened by the same chilling darkness.

"Perhaps you should stay here for the time being," Rao offered kindly, "You don't look so well."

"I'm fine!" I grunted, shooting a nasty glare, but without even approaching her, something struck at my heart, darkness plaguing all of my senses. It was emanating from Rao.

"Stay here," Rao said as if to warn me not to approach, "We will return shortly."

I froze, unsure what to do, "Y-yeah, sure," I finally said.

_Etsuko, are you sure you will be alright? _Amaterasu asked. I nodded my head. Strange, Amaterasu and Issun seemed unaffected by Rao. Was this because I was a demon? No, it couldn't be. It had been the reason once before, but this aura was so much different. So much darker. It was as if Rao was consciously keeping me away from her and the others. For what reason, I did not know.

"Yeah, just fine, go on ahead. I'll wait here," I said. Rao was not hesitant to comply as she urged Amaterasu forward. The wolf however, seemed to keep her head turned towards me in a longing fashion, as if she did not want to leave me. I waved my hand for her to go on. She did, leaving me alone.

* * *

**Kagura**

"Sesshomaru—" she began, at a total loss for words. What could she even say to the dog demon at this point? Etsuko was dead, there was nothing that could change that. Kagura then narrowed her eyes, anger welling within her, "But what about you? Why didn't you use the Tenseiga on her?"

"The Tenseiga is useless to me," Sesshomaru said, the pained expression on his face made Kagura's heart sink. Part of her wanted to leave and forget everything that had happened; the other part of her began to wonder…if what Sesshomaru said was true, then what really did happen?

"What if," Kagura began, "At least if what Waka says is true, then what if the Tenseiga worked after all?"

Sesshomaru shook his head, "No. That's impossible. I know how the Tenseiga works. It did nothing to bring her back!"

"But Sesshomaru—"

"Just forget it, leave before I kill you," Sesshomaru glared hatefully at Kagura. The wind demon hesitated, wondering if it really was a good idea to leave the man be. He was past all rational thought by this point, and Kagura worried that he was dangerously close to a point of insanity. Had Etsuko's death affected him that much? Kagura frowned, perhaps there really were things she didn't know after all. Damn that Naraku, why did he have to ruin everything? Even her relationship with her own child!

"Fine," Kagura spat, "Just don't do anything stupid like getting yourself killed, okay?"

Sesshomaru said nothing.

Kagura worried.

Still, she took out her feather and flew away, leaving the dog demon behind until, hopefully, she saw him again.

* * *

**Rin**

She followed him as always.

Except this time was different, because for the first time, Rin knew what Sesshomaru was thinking:

He missed Etsuko.

Oh, she should've kept her from leaving that day! She should've made sure Etsuko didn't run off! Stupid Jaken, he must've been why Etsuko disappeared in the first place. At least that's what Rin figured, after all, Jaken can say things that make even Lord Sesshomaru angry, and if Etsuko was anything like Lord Sesshomaru, then Jaken probably made her angry too.

But still, Etsuko must have known that Jaken would be traveling with Lord Sesshomaru, and that she could finally be reunited with Lord Sesshomaru! So why didn't she stay? Was she mad at Lord Sesshomaru for some reason? Rin shook her head. No, Lord Sesshomaru was too kind to scare off his own daughter. So why run off? Unless…

Did Etsuko think Lord Sesshomaru was dead too?

No, she couldn't…that'd be silly.

So why did Lord Sesshomaru still think she was dead?

* * *

**Etsuko**

"What is this thing anyway?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. I held the large mallet in my hand; it gave off a soft orange light, giving me the impression that it was one of the gods' tools. Or at least something holy. Yet the mallet didn't reject me, it seemed to welcome my grasp, though it tugged slightly in my hand, as if it wanted to show me something, "Hey Rao, is this what you were looking for?"

"The fox rods," Rao said half to herself, "I could've sworn they were on this ship. Where did they go?"

Well, thanks, lady, for answering my question.

"You mean this isn't what you're looking for?" Issun asked, "Damn! We came all this way for nothing!"

"It wasn't for nothing," I said, "At least we found this cool…hammer thing…"

Issun hopped off Amaterasu's head and examined the mallet in my hands. He let out a gasp, "Oh! I know what this is! It's the Lucky Mallet!"

"Okay," I said, "So what does it do? Bring good luck every time you hammer something?"

"No, no, they say that it can shrink people down to the size of a ball of a needle and back, it's really cool," Issun explained.

I snorted a laugh, "So what would happen if I used it on you? You think you'd become the size of a normal person or shrink until you disappear?"

At that, Amaterasu barked a laugh. Issun groaned.

"That's not funny, Pup," the bug said. I rolled my eyes and continued laughing at him. "Anyway," he grunted, interrupting me, "Let's just keep this thing with us just in case. But how 'bout we get out of here? I'm tired of running from these creepy ghosts!"

And with that remark, we all made our way to the entrance of the ship. The air slowly shifted, signaling to me that the sun was rising. I sat on Amaterasu's back, my hands trembling slightly. The wolf turned her head toward me.

_Are you ready for the swim?_ She asked.

"No," I groaned, "let's just get this over with."

"Glad to hear, Pup!" Issun chirped, patting my head. I sighed, clutching onto the wolf's fur tightly. Rao sat on the wolf's back behind me, her presence foul enough to make my heart stop. I paused a moment to take in a deep breath, reminding myself that I was alright. This woman wouldn't try to kill me. At least not yet.

The waves crashed violently against the ship as the sun rose, leaving us to rely on Amaterasu's ability to swim. Panting, the god paddled her way to shore with Issun lying on her snout, me huddled over her holding on for dear life, and Rao impatiently waiting to get out of the ocean.

"Forgive me, but can you go any faster?" Rao asked.

"Oh, be nice to Ammy," Issun scolded lightly, "Ammy's sensitive about her flaws! But she'll still get us to shore."

"Yes, yes, it's just the water dragon has me a little—" Rao began but stopped as something bubbled to the surface, creating a large wave propelling us forward.

"What was that?" I asked, terrified.

"Pup, that was a wave," Issun said, "we're fine."

"Are you sure? You don't think that was the Water Dragon, do you?" Rao asked.

"…what water dragon…?" I mumbled to Rao.

"Oh, come on!" Issun groaned, "everyone in that city has been freaking out about this so-called 'Water Dragon'! This isn't that big of a deal, guys! Just listen to me when I tell you that there is no water dragon!"

Another wave struck us violently, and a terrible fear pinched my heart. One caused by a strong presence so horrifying I wanted to vomit. Rao turned her head and gasped. Amaterasu tensed up and began paddling as hard as she could. Unsure of what laid behind us, I closed my eyes tightly. Issun groaned and turned around before screaming.

"What? What is behind us?" I asked.

"Wa-WATER DRAGOOOOON!" Issun screamed. And that was when all hell broke loose.

* * *

Because what is an extravagant adventure without a rampaging water dragon? XD


	8. Chapter 7

Alright guys! I'm finally back from the dead! I am sooooooo sorry it consistantly takes forever for me to update, but for those of you who have been patient enough to bare with me, I am forever greatful.

Anyway, without further adue, I give to you, Chapter 7!

ENJOI

* * *

**Etsuko**

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" I screamed at the top of my lungs, flailing my arms around like an idiot.

"SWIM AMMY, SWIM!" Issun screamed bouncing frantically from Ammy's head to my head to Rao's head and back.

_I'M TRYING!_ Amaterasu howled, desperately paddling her way to shore. Her tail flicked frantically and I only continued screaming at the top of my lungs. I couldn't tell how close we were to shore, or where this Water Dragon was, but the violent waves crashing against us that all but halted us completely and the loud ferocious roar accompanied by the darkest of feelings wallowing in the pit of my stomach told me that it was dangerously close to us.

Then Rao did something strange…er…

She stood up on Ammy's back, and before any of us could say anything to her she leapt off the wolf's back and out of my sight.

"What did she-?" I began, but was cut off by my own screams as another wave crashed against us.

Issun's bouncing grew only more frantic, but this time, it seemed, with anger, "That sly bitch! How the hell can she do that?"

"Do what?" I screeched.

The Water Dragon let out another roar, and Amaterasu attempted diving under to gain more momentum. She did so, unfortunately, with a hopelessly blind and unaware demon that was now coughing up salt water.

_Sorry! Trying to save our lives here! _Amaterasu howled in a panic, her attempt sadly to no avail. Her front legs just kept paddling and paddling, tiring out more and more as she did.

"Dammit, Ammy!" Issun cursed, "Can't you go any faster—AAAAAAAAAAH!" The Water Dragon thrashed in the water, sending another violent wave. This time, however, it knocked me off Amaterasu's back.

"HEEEELP!" I managed to scream before I was plunged under water. I didn't have time to hold my breath. Miraculously, the dragon's thrashing caused the water to push me back to the surface, where I helplessly flailed my arms about trying to keep my head above the water.

"ETSUKO!" I heard Issun's voice scream with more panic than I ever thought possible from the sly bug, "Hang on!"

My fear quickly over took me: "I CAN'T SWIM! I CAN'T SWIM! HEEEEEELP!"

"Ammy! Do something!" Issun wailed. The wolf in response let out a terrified howl that drowned as the two were overtaken by the water. The Water Dragon let out a roar and dove into the water, the waves throwing me about and pushing me underwater. I thrashed about, terrified, trying to reach the surface, but another wave, a muffled sound of the water dragon's reign of terror, and then my lungs gave out, filling with water before I lost consciousness.

* * *

**Inuyasha**

He swaggered along the beach shore, pissed off as usual. Damn that Sesshomaru…why the hell did Inuyasha have to be reminded of that bastard wherever he went? And that girl….ugh, she was like some snarky little brat version of his older brother, only a girl…which strangely seemed worse than Sesshomaru himself. Dammit!

"Inuyasha?" the priestess began. Inuyasha looked back at Kagome, trying his best to mask the blush that spread across his cheeks every time he looked at the beautiful priestess.

"What?" Inuyasha barked back. His sharp tongue which once scared Kagome spurred a different response as the human girl narrowed her eyes, glaring at the half demon. Inuyasha gulped. Strange how the tables had turned over the time they had spent together.

"You don't have to give me that attitude, you know," Kagome lectured. Inuyasha let out a small growl.

"Yeah, yeah, are you just gonna lecture me, or is there something more important you wanted to ask?" Inuyasha grumbled. Kagome pursed her lips and for a moment Inuyasha braced himself for any "sit" command that would lead his face impaling itself with the ground. Thankfully, Kagome said nothing of the sort and brushed his smart-alack off.

"I was just thinking…" she thought aloud.

"About…?" Inuyasha asked, trying to get the girl's thoughts out of her.

"Well, I was just thinking about that girl from earlier," Kagome explained, "Why did you think she was Sesshomaru?"

Inuyasha scoffed, "Because she smelled like him, DUH."

Kagome rolled her eyes, "Yeah, I know that, but why? If she had been around him recently, don't you think we would have run into him by now? And you did say that she _is_ a dog demon so…"

"Kagome, what are you trying to get at, here?" Inuyasha asked, his nerves ripping at the seams. At that moment, Sango broke her silence.

"Kagome has a point, Inuyasha," the demon-slayer added, "this may sound crazy to you but, do you think that girl is somehow related to Sesshomaru in a way?"

"Yeah right!" Inuyasha barked, "How stupid can you guys get? I thought we just decided that the kid hasn't been anywhere near Sesshomaru recently?"

"That's not the type of relation I'm speaking of, Inuyasha," Sango retorted.

Inuyasha went silent at that, trapped deep in his thoughts. Finally, he spoke up, "Sango, you can't be serious."

"Yes, Inuyasha, I am," Sango said, "It adds up. The girl briefly mentioned her father, and she wouldn't respond to anything you said about Sesshomaru, so I think she was hiding something. Plus, she's a dog demon, and she does bear resemblance to him."

"Wait a minute," Inuyasha interrupted, "You think…you can't think that he's her _father_ can you?"

No one said anything, but they all stared at the hanyou with intent glares that assured him they didn't need to answer his question. Inuyasha groaned and shoved his hands up his sleeves.

"You guys must have your heads up your asses or something! Do you _really_ think that heartless bastard would stand to have a kid? I mean, really! He doesn't care about anybody but himself, much less a _child_," Inuyasha bantered.

"Then what about Rin?" Kagome interjected. At that, everyone fell deep into thought.

Shippo was the first to break the silence, "But didn't that girl say her Pa was dead?"

"Yeah!" Inuyasha said, "See? There's no way she can be Sesshomaru's kid if he's alive!"

"Not exactly, Inuyasha," Miroko finally said, catching the half demon off guard, "I agree with you that Sesshomaru is heartless, and if he did have a child, I'd imagine his relationship with it would be estranged if anything, so it would make sense if the girl knew nothing of her father, not even his well-being."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. That's just ridiculous. Sesshomaru? Have a kid? Pa-lease! The hanyou turned to retort Miroko's statement but stopped when he saw the ocean: "What the hell is that?"

The others followed Inuyasha's gaze. In the distance—a fearsomely close distance—a gargantuan white monster thrashed in the water, letting out ear-splitting roars. It was attacking something—someone. That's when they heard the scream.

* * *

**Sesshomaru**

That scream. The dog demon stood atop a cliff overlooking the coast of Ryoshima. Out in the ocean, he observed as the rumored Water Dragon tore its next victim to shreds. Looked to be some foolish swimmers and a…dog? The waves were far too violent for Sesshomaru to distinguish any details other than bodies with limbs flailing about.

But that scream…a young girl by the sound of it. She probably didn't believe the rumors of the Water Dragon and went out in the ocean for a swim, only to meet her end by the massive creature once revered as a god by the people of the sea, but what did Sesshomaru care? She was only a human.

Sesshomaru was about to turn away when he heard the shrill voice again, desperately calling for help. There was something about the pitch of her cries that caught his sensitive ears, something about that voice, though it was hard to distinguish with it raised at such a pitch. Then there was that nagging feeling in the pit of his stomach…somehow, Sesshomaru had heard those cries once before. What terrible cries they were.

"Is everything alright, Lord Sesshomaru?" Rin asked. Sesshomaru turned to the innocent girl, her large brown eyes filled with concern for the dog demon.

Sighing, Sesshomaru said, "Nothing. Let's move on."

* * *

**Inuyasha**

"Somebody's in trouble!" Kagome cried.

Yeah, no shit Kagome, thanks for pointing out the obvious as always. Without wasting time, Inuyasha pulled out his trusty Tetsusaiga and bounded towards the water. Just as he was about to strike, however, the Water Dragon disappeared into the water.

"What the hell…?" Inuyasha asked out loud.

"It appears the dragon finished its meal," Miroko observed, then lifted his hand, "may the souls who met their unfortunate end rest in peace."

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes. Strange…it didn't look like the dragon finished its raid but instead was stopped altogether, as if something commanded it to leave whoever it was it was attacking alone. Inuyasha inhaled deeply, and a familiar scent washed up to shore.

"You're kidding me," the hanyou grumbled. He began to jog along the shore, then turned to call out to his friends, "hey! Come on, I think that blasted dragon missed one!"

"What do you mean, Inuyasha?" Sango asked.

"Just follow me!" the hanyou ordered, and went into a full-out sprint. The scent got closer and closer as he ran until finally it was on top of him. Inuyasha looked around, but couldn't find the girl anywhere. Where was she? Hiding maybe?

"Inuyasha!" Kagome called out as the group ran towards him, "What's the matter?"

"I can smell her," Inuyasha said, "the girl, but I don't know where she—"

"Oh my gosh, look!" Kagome cried and fell to her knees. Inuyasha was about to yell at her for ignoring him but shoved the words back down his throat when he saw the demon girl lying in the water face-down, the waves pushing her gently back and forth.

"She looks to have drowned," Miroko stated, "Kagome, turn her over, we may be able to revive her."

"Good thinking," Kagome said, "I know CPR!"

"CP-what?" Inuyasha growled.

"Don't worry about it," Kagome sighed, tilting the girl's head back. She clasped her hands together and pushed against the girl's chest. Then, she pinched the girl's nose and—to Inuyasha's horror—Kagome placed her lips on the girls.

"KAGOME!" Inuyasha screamed, "What the hell are you doing?"

The priestess lifted her head and yelled back, "I'm forcing air into her lungs! It's supposed to get the water out!"

"But you didn't have to KISS her!"

"I wasn't kissing her, it's called CPR!"

Miroko observed the small spat and turned to Sango, "Interesting…Sango, you look a little under the weather, I think you need some CPR as well."

Sango glared at the monk, "What?"

"It's just for drowning victims!" Kagome shrieked, her face flushed, but continued pressing on the girl's chest.

In moments, the once paper-white face burst into color as the girl awakened, violently hacking up water and vomit. She rolled over to her side, blinking.

"Wow…that actually worked…" Inuyasha mumbled, amazed, he then took a step towards the girl, "hey, are you alright?"

"Issun…Ammy…" the girl mumbled, staggering to her feet, "Issun. Ammy."

"Hey, kid, can you hear me?" Inuyasha asked. He and Kagome exchanged nervous glances. Kagome stood and placed a hand on the girl's shoulder.

"Are Issun and Ammy your friends?" Kagome asked. The girl visibly tensed and she whipped her head towards the priestess, giving Kagome a terrifying glare.

"_Where the hell are they?_" she growled. Kagome took a step back, and Inuyasha stepped forward.

"Hey, take it easy, kid, they were probably caught in that mess with you," the hanyou said, moving Kagome behind him. The girl was disoriented, and, if she really was like Sesshomaru, she was dangerous. Very dangerous.

"_You mean you didn't help_ _them?_" she growled, lifting a clawed hand. She flexed her fingers, causing her knuckles to pop—just like Sesshomaru.

Inuyasha placed a hand on his sword, "we didn't see them. We just found you washed up."

"_My friends,_" she growled, "_They were my friends…and you let them die!"_ Inuyasha braced himself as the girl lunged forward, but she jerked suddenly, grabbing hold of her shoulder. The girl winced in pain, a few tears escaping her eyes, as crimson quickly began to stain her kimono sleeve. The Water Dragon must've caught her, and the wound that started must have opened from her movements. The girl fell to her knees, eyes rolling to the back of her head. "You can't let them die," she whimpered quietly before collapsing.

* * *

**Issun**

Issun hacked up water as he crawled onto the beach. Ammy laid on her back, heaving.

"That was way too close," Issun moaned, lying down on his side. As his breathing finally calmed, he let out a chuckle, then turned to Etsuko, "I guess you do have a good reason to fear water now, eh, Pup?" Issun sat up with a sly grin on his face, half-expecting the dog demon to grab him and let out a nasty growl in response. But as he looked around, Etsuko was nowhere to be found. They had all three been separated in the water, but when he found Ammy wash up next to him, he expected Estuko to be there too.

But Etsuko couldn't swim…oh no…she didn't-she didn't drown did she?

"Puuuup?" Issun called out, nervous. His heart thumped within his chest and he swallowed a lump in his throat, "Pup! Come on this isn't funny!"

_Issun, _Ammy said as she sat up, her ears flattened against her head.

"Etsuko! Come on!" Issun shouted out, fighting the tears.

_Issun, _Ammy said again, letting out a whimper, _I don't think she made it…_

"She had to!" Issun snapped. Why was he getting so upset? He wondered, she was just a dog demon. "No," he answered himself, frustrated, he balled his hands into fists, "Ammy we have to find Etsuko!"

_Issun, we don't have time—_Ammy started, Issun cut her off.

"I don't care!" he barked back, "We made her go on that ship! We promised her she would be okay, and if we abandon her, we'll be breaking that promise!"

Ammy lowered her head and sighed, _You're right, let's go find her…just one question…_

"What's that?" Issun asked.

_Since when did you care so much about her?_ Ammy asked.

"Shut up, Furball!" Issun barked.

_I was only asking…_ Ammy groaned. Issun ignored her and hopped on the wolf's snout.

"Alright, let's go!"

* * *

**Etsuko**

"_Daddy, why is the world so dark?"_

"_Well, you can't see the world like other people, dear."_

"_Is your world dark too?"_

"_No."_

"_Are other people's worlds dark?"_

"_Some of them, but not most."_

"_Then why is it only my world that's dark?"_

"_I don't know, Etsuko. I wish I knew why your sight was taken, but I don't."_

"_Taken? Who took my sight?"_

"_I don't know. Etsuko, I'm so sorry…"_

"_Don't be sorry Daddy! It isn't your fault…Daddy, why does your face feel wet?"_

"_I'm crying, Etsuko."_

"_Why are you crying?"_

"_I'm crying for you, my daughter."_

I groaned, pain surged through my shoulder and chest, and remnants of salt water still lingered in my throat. I coughed as I opened my eyes, half expecting light to rush into my eyes, but alas I was met with only darkness. Five strangely familiar scents wafted into my nose, and as I sat up, I realized I was surrounded by the freaks who ambushed me in Sei-an.

"Ugh…" groaned, holding my head, "What happened…?"

The half-demon sat next to me, arms folded around his sword. He let out a groan, "Are ya going to cooperate or are you going to try attacking us again?"

I shot a glare, "what are you talking about? I never laid a finger on you, much less attack you! And if I remember correctly, it was _you_ who swung your giant-ass sword at _me_."

"I saved your life!" Inuyasha growled. The priestess crossed her arms and coughed, causing Inuyasha to reword his phrasing, "erm…I mean, Kagome here, saved your life! And all you did to thank us was accuse us of not saving your friends and try to attack us before passing out again!"

I thought hard for a moment. I didn't remember any of that…I remember waking up on the beach and throwing up, and I remember feeling panicked and not knowing where I was but that was it.

"I did?" I asked, slightly confused.

"Hell yeah you did! And who's to say you won't do it again!" Inuyasha leaned towards me, grabbing the hilt of his sword. I lifted my hands in defense.

"Woah! I'm sorry if I offended you in anyway, but all I remember is a near death experience involving a dragon attacking me when I couldn't even see where I was—or even _breathe_, for that matter_—_in the first place. I don't remember anything that happened after that until now," I retorted, narrowing my eyes.

"Inuyasha, give the poor girl a break, she was just disoriented and scared, we can't blame her for that, besides, nothing bad happened," the demon slayer chided. Inuyasha let out a growl but relaxed, sitting back down and I sighed in relief. The demon slayer continued, "Anyway, Etsuko was it?"

"Yeah," I said, observing the demon slayer's movements, not daring to trust her, or any of them for that matter.

"Why exactly were you doing in the water in the first place? If you don't mind my asking, that is," she continued.

I sighed, "well, my friends and I met with a priestess in the city—well my friends did, I couldn't get past the guards to go with them—and she said there was something important on the sunken ship in the bay that would help us dispel the plague, so we went looking for it, but it was gone when we got there, probably stolen by grave robbers or something, and we were on our way back when the Water Dragon came after us."

"That ship is pretty far out in the ocean for you guys to be swimming over there…" the demon slayer wondered out loud.

"What, you don't believe me?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No, it's not that, it's just, your friends must be demons, right?" she asked, "and it must be hard to swim if you're blind."

I rolled my eyes, "I can't swim. That's why I drowned. Issun and I were on Ammy's back when we were attacked."

"So this Ammy is a demon too?" Kagome asked. I shook my head.

"Well, not exactly," I stated, "but she's about as strong as one, maybe stronger."

The group nodded their heads at me, as if they just now believed my story. I don't know what's not to believe, but I guess it's hard to trust a demon…even though they had two and a half sitting with us in this room.

"Anyway," I said, "thank you for your help, but I really need to find my friends. It's important."

"Wait!" Kagome stopped, "your shoulder was torn up pretty badly, and you still aren't healed completely, perhaps you should stay with us."

"Thanks but no thanks," I said, "I don't want to be a bother to you all. You've done more than enough for me, I just really need to find my friends."

"Yeah Kagome," Inuyasha barked, "just let the kid go, she isn't our concern. Besides, she'd only get in our way, she is blind and helpless after all."

At that I stopped and turned to Inuyasha. "I can handle myself just fine," I warned, "don't underestimate me just because I'm blind."

"And you sound just like Sesshomaru when you say that," the half-demon went on, "Really, it's annoying when you do that, so stop. And what do you have to do with him anyway?"

I stiffened, my instincts beginning to kick in, guarding me from unwanted emotions. "That's none of your business," I spat.

"Aha! So you are working with him, aren't you! I bet he's using you to take my Tetsusaiga from me isn't he!" Inuyasha barked, pointing at me. The others groaned. I stared at Inuyasha in utter confusion. WHAT?

"Your Tetsu-what?" I asked, "I don't even know what that is! And what is he, your arch enemy or something?"

"He's Inuyasha's older brother," Kagome stepped in, explaining, "it would be an understatement to say those two don't get along. But he is evil, and he's tried to kill Inuyasha a number of times."

Evil? Huh, that's definitely not a word I would use to describe my father…but why were they speaking of him like he was still alive? I cleared my throat, attempting to play along with them, "This Sesshomaru guy…I take it he's still around? You know, alive?"

"Unfortunately," Inuyasha grumbled, "and all he seems to be good for is causing me all kinds of crap and trying to take my sword from me!"

It literally took every ounce of willpower I had to keep my composure in that moment. The corners of my mouth twitched violently, my eyes blinked fervently in an attempt to keep tears at bay, my knees and hands rattled together. He was alive? Why did he leave me after that night? Did he think I was dead? Where was he? What was he doing? Was he okay? Did he miss me?

I pursed my lips and cleared my throat, "He isn't…" I started, my voice shaking, "he isn't going to come after us is he…?"

"Most likely," Inuyasha groaned, leaning back, "and when he does I'll kick his ass once and for all!"

I gulped loudly, hoping Inuyasha wouldn't actually hurt my dad (though really, I had a feeling it would be Inuyasha whose ass was whooped), but thankfully Kagome misinterpereted my body language, "Inuyasha! Don't scare her! It's alright Etsuko, Sesshomaru may be evil, but Inuyasha will protect us, I promise you'll be alright."

"That's assuming I stay with you," I corrected, sighing. Yeah, the last time someone made that kind of promise, I drowned…I just hope they didn't…

"R-right," Kagome laughed nervously and scratched the back of her head.

The monk joined into the conversation, "Etsuko, I know you may find it hard to trust us, but it might be in your best interest if you stayed with us. I have faith in your ability to defend yourself, but there is still strength in numbers, especially when you're recovering from your injury. Besides, we could use your help—if you know how to stop the plague in Sei-an, or at least the priestess you met with knows how to stop it, we could join forces and work together. We are working towards a common cause after all. In the meantime, we will do everything we can to help you locate your friends."

Well, I couldn't argue with that, but I still had to make sure of one thing, but I bit my lip as I phrased the question: "and you're psycho brother isn't going to cause us too much trouble, right?"

"Not if I can help it!" Inuyasha pounded his fists together.

"But he _will _show up sooner or later?" I clarified.

"Unfortunately, yes. We're sorry, if it bothers you, Etsuko," Kagome apologized, "I admit we are kind of a magnet for strong demons, but we won't let anything bad happen to you."

I placed my hands on my hips in deep thought, but my mind was already made up.

"Okay, I guess I can tag along with you guys for a while," I said. Of course in my mind I was screaming, _Hell yes I'm joining you guys! What kind of idiot wouldn't take up that offer, you morons?_ I then turned to my new comrades and bowed, "thank you so much for helping me. You have no idea what this means to me."

And really, they didn't. But never mind that thought, I had a huge list of things to do that I needed to prioritize. Of course, I needed to find Issun and Amaterasu. If they were in trouble, they needed me. But I also needed to find a way to stop the plague in Sei-an…I had no idea how, nor why I still felt the need to, but if it had anything to do with the dark powers Waka mentioned to me once, I needed to get to the bottom of that. But most importantly, no matter what happened, I needed to stick with these guys. I needed them to lead me to my father.

I had to find him, I had to be with my Daddy again.


	9. Chapter 8

I'm BAAAAAAAACK! :D Wooh, sorry again guys! Needless to say I've had to go through a LOT lately, but I'm hanging in there. Of course your thoughts and prayers would be very much appreciated and very uplifting to help me get through some difficult times I am going through. But your support and kind reviews have meant the world to me!

So heads up, I'm FINALLY jumping into the Inuyasha storyline...the next couple of chapters will pretty much follow the actual storyline of about...ummm...I'd say episodes 95ish to 99ish (I say ish because I don't have an episode guide in front of me...I just remembered watching re-runs and come across the episodes where Jaken gets stung by Saimyosho up until the point where Koga and his groupies are morons as always and run into Sesshomaru and thought it was absolutely perfect for Eyes of the Soul's storyline XD) as Etsuko begins a blind (pun intended) chase to find her daddy. But don't worry, I'm not forgetting about the plague in Sei-an. Ammy and Issun have their agenda too and the trio will find away to put the Lucky Mallet to use shortly! (and those of you who play the game, I think you guys know what's coming ;) )

Anyway, hope you guys enjoy the comic relief I added in this fairly light-hearted chapter!

ENJOI

* * *

**Etsuko**

I suddenly realized why Dad never mentioned his brother before. This guy. Was such an idiot.

"…And then I'm gonna pummel his puny legs into his puny head!" Inuyasha babbled on. I dragged my feet behind him. This guy was going to be the death of me…if I didn't kill him first at least.

"That doesn't even make sense!" I growled, my head pounding from Inuyasha's stupidity.

"You don't make sense!" the half-demon retorted back. Um…what?

"Just ignore him when he gets like this," Kagome advised. I nodded my head and sighed. Apparently Inuyasha's sudden mood swing was thanks to that wolf demon we had encountered earlier that morning. What was his name again? Konan? Tiger? Koga? Koga! That's right! He's an idiot too. And you get them together in the same room and its one big idiot drinking party if you ask me!

Miroko sighed, "Inuyasha, Koga is an ally. He means no harm, why must you behave this way?"

"Because that damn wolf is going to get his legs pounded into his head!" Inuyasha yelled.

"Oh my gods," I said curtly and sat down. That's it! I'm done with this moron! Where the hell was Issun?! I'd take his perverted flirting and insults over Inuyasha any day!

Kagome turned around to face me, "what's wrong, Etsuko?"

"I'm done," I growled, crossing my arms.

"Done? Are your wounds still bothering you? We could take a break and—"

"No! No, I'm can keep walking," I stood quickly, "just get me away from _him_!" I pointed a finger at Inuyasha, my patience at its limit. Inuyasha's body tensed as he stomped his foot on the ground.

"ME? What the hell is wrong with me?" Inuyasha shouted.

"You're an idiot!" I stood on my toes and got in the hanyo's face, bearing my teeth.

"You know you'd look a lot scarier if you could actually look me in the eye, you brat," Inuyasha stated. At that, I lost it.

"YOU IDIOT!" I screamed as punched Inuyasha's face as hard as I could, knocking him back about five feet. Inuyasha landed on his butt and turned his head upward towards me.

"The hell is your problem?!" Inuyasha yelled, shaking his fist at me.

"EVERYTHING!" I roared, "I'm tired of your rambling, I'm tired period! You're such an idiot and you won't shut up and you're giving me a headache!" I panted hard, my hands balled up into fists. After about a moment, reality finally hit me like a rock and I realized that I was supposed to be buddy-buddies with these guys. Oops.

To my surprise though, Miroko started clapping, "My, I'm impressed! I never thought I'd see the day when someone other than Kagome could knock Inuyasha to the ground!"

"Hey, Miroko! What the hell is that for? Did you see what she just did to me?" Inuyasha growled.

Shippo spat up a laugh, "I'm just glad someone finally shut him up! You're so cool Etsuko!"

Kagome pat me on the shoulder, "sorry about Inuyasha, he can be a handful at times. Though I admit I'm relieved to know that I'm not the only one who loses her sanity over him." At that everyone (minus Inuyasha and me) broke out into rather joyous laughter.

I take that back, all of these people were idiots.

"Yeah," I managed a laugh, extremely confused, "so…why exactly are we moving _away_ from the city?"

"We're meeting up with Jinenji," Sango explained, "he's a half-demon like Inuyasha, but he brews medicine and antidotes from herbs. He once healed Kilala from miasma poisoning. We were going to pay him a visit to say thanks for helping us back then but also to see if he might have anything to guard against the plague in the city."

Miasma, the toxin that seeps out of the blood of lower demons when they die is typically used as one last-ditch effort to destroy their enemies in battle. It can destroy anything, human and demon. The only ones I ever knew to be immune to miasma were my father and Master Waka. I had smelled a little bit of miasma in the air of the city, but considering that it takes a high concentration of miasma to do any damage to even humans, I dismissed the idea of it being the problem. If left hanging in the air for humans to breath in for any prolonged period of time however…that might be another story completely. Hmm, maybe these guys weren't so dense after all!

"Alright," I sighed, "sounds good."

* * *

**Sesshomaru**

"Lord Sesshomaru?" Rin's small voice awakened suddenly. Sesshomaru said nothing, anticipating the girl to proceed with whatever she had to say without his permission. "I'm getting hungry, may I get something to eat?"

As the dog demon opened his mouth, Jaken began shouting in protest as usual, "Oh! Quiet you! There's nothing in this forest for you to eat so you'll just have to wait!"

"But—"

"No buts!"

And as the defiant and independent girl she was, Rin lept off of Ah-Un's back and ran deeper into the forest calling back, "I'll be very quick!"

At that, Sesshomaru had to fight a smile. Suddenly, he traveled back in time six years or so, and Etsuko was running off and playing pranks on either Jaken or, when they were in the village of Kamiki, the middle-aged human called Susano.

"Get back here you!" Jaken shouted out, interrupting Sesshomaru's thoughts. Damn frog…

"Jaken," Sesshomaru scolded, not sure what irritated him, the headache Jaken's shouts were giving him or the fact that Jaken had forced him back into reality. Sighing, he ordered, "leave her be."

* * *

**Etsuko**

"What are these?" I whispered to myself as I pulled a strange-looking bag out of Kagome's pack. It made a lot of noise and was sealed shut. Inuyasha leaned over my shoulder and sniffed the bag.

"Oh those?" Inuyasha asked, his voice sounding peculiarly friendly, "you have to try these. They're called potato chips. And their garlic flavored!"

"What's 'garlic'?" I asked. Inuyasha shrugged.

"I don't know, but it tastes good on these chips," he said. Inuyasha took the bag from my hands and pulled it open, the bag making a loud popping noise. He then held the bag in front of me and said, "here. Try one."

I did as I was told and reached my hand inside the bag, my fingers grasping hold of a thin, disk-shaped thing. I held it gingerly in my fingers. I was supposed to eat this? Unsure, I noticed Inuyasha was shoveling these 'chips' into his mouth by the handful. Well, guess one wouldn't hurt. I popped it in my mouth and began to chew.

It was…very crunchy…and it made me a bit thirsty but…hot damn it was good!

"Wow," I said as I swallowed.

"I know right!" Inuyasha added. I reached for more, but Inuyasha greedily pulled the bag away from me, "No! This is my bag!"

"Oh, come on!" I protested, "you can't offer me one and then not share!"

"Sure I can," Inuyasha said, as he rummaged through Kagome's pack, pulling out another small bag and handed it to me, "because she has one more left."

"Well, guess I can't complain!" I grinned and tore the bag of chips open.

* * *

**Jaken**

Unbelievable! Lord Sesshomaru was just going to let Rin wander off after being so disrespectful?!

"But Lord Sesshomaru! Why must you go so easy on her?" Jaken begged. Sesshomaru never treated Jaken so well, despite all his years of service to his lord!

"Do I need to explain myself, Jaken?" Sesshomaru asked in response.

Jaken sighed, "I guess not."

But really, all this fuss over a little human girl? Why must Lord Sesshomaru act so…so.._kind_ to Rin? Why? It was completely out of character for Lord Sesshomaru! In all his years of service, the toad demon had never seen Sesshomaru so compassionate before meeting Rin!

Well…actually he had…

Perhaps even the great dog demon himself can be overcome by affection when presented the task of raising a child. Etsuko…that girl smiled way too much to be Lord Sesshomaru's daughter, and she caused Jaken even more grief than Rin did! But still…she was Lord Sesshomaru's child, and Jaken had made up his mind a long time ago that one day she would become his new master if—heaven forbid—Lord Sesshomaru passed on. But then that all changed when she was killed.

They never did figure out who the culprit was, and Jaken had given up on looking for that monster, assuming Sesshomaru had as well. Though Jaken did notice his master grow more and more coldhearted after Etsuko's death, and if Jaken remembered right, that night was also when Sesshomaru's obsession over the Tetsusaiga began.

Granted, Lord Sesshomaru had always been coldhearted and obsessed over his birthright in the years that Jaken knew him, but Sesshomaru was a demon, they're supposed to be coldhearted—hell, Sesshomaru even had emotions and smiled when Jaken first met him!—and it's not like he stalked Inuyasha and searched aimlessly for it, he simply expressed frustration here and there when things didn't quite go his way, and he never bore actual hatred towards Inuyasha until the seal that was placed on the half demon broke. But when Etsuko died—that was the first and last time Jaken ever saw his master weep, and that was when the duo's agenda changed completely.

But then where did Rin fit in? Yeah, she could be cute and everything, but Sesshomaru had no business dragging a human girl around! He barely had any business dragging Etsuko around! And she could at least fend for herself, despite being blind!

Sometimes, however, Jaken wondered if Rin was a way for Sesshomaru to relive certain moments with Etsuko, and regain that connection with his dead child again. Granted, Rin did remind Jaken of Etsuko at times (although she was much ruder, but she also didn't pull nearly as many pranks as Etsuko did), but was it really healthy for Lord Sesshomaru to carry on that way? How would he move on if he kept this up? And how was that fair to Rin? Not like Jaken cared, she was human, but still! She could be living happily in a human village without a care in the world, and yet she's caught in a demon's world and unknowingly in the middle of some old dog's fantasy!

"Jaken," Sesshomaru stated, his voice solemn. Jaken jumped, suddenly nervous. Ohhhh! It was never his place to judge Lord Sesshomaru! What was he doing? Did his master know of Jaken's treacherous thoughts? Oh dear!

"Y-y-yes, Milord?" Jaken shook. Oh no, here it comes.

"Tell me, what thoughts give you such a troubled expression?" Sesshomaru asked, looking Jaken in the eye. Oh dear, he was angry!

"N-n-nothing, Milord! Nothing at all!" Jaken stammered, trying to save himself. Somehow, he felt that he was only digging himself a bigger hole.

"Jaken," Sesshomaru sighed, and the toad demon braced himself. To his surprise, however, Sesshomaru didn't hit him. Instead he said, "you need not fear me. You simply have a depressed expression on your face and I simply want to know what thoughts are troubling you."

At that Jaken's jaw dropped. Lord Sesshomaru? Worrying about Jaken? Good god, Lord Sesshomaru hadn't been this sincere with Jaken in years!"

"Well, you see, My lord…" Jaken began, "Rin she…does she remind you anything of Etsuko?"

Sesshomaru's form tensed and Jaken immediately began to regret speaking up. But the lord was full of surprises today. "In many ways, she does," Sesshomaru answered, "her innocence and her unbelievably kind heart, for example. But Etsuko and Rin are two very different people. Though I admit the two could have passed for sisters and would have enjoyed doing so."

"Lord Sesshomaru?" Jaken asked, worrying for his master, "do you still miss Etsuko?"

Sesshomaru sighed, "I always will, Jaken. More than you know.

Jaken watched Lord Sesshomaru's proud stature sink a few inches as he spoke, his pride diminishing. The toad demon ached for his master deeply. But still, for Sesshomaru to be this sincere and reveal this much? This day was unbelievable…

* * *

**Kagome**

"This is unbelievable!" she screamed, holding the two empty potato chip bags in each hand. Before her, Etsuko and Inuyasha twiddled their thumbs, the most innocent look on their faces.

"I was hungry," Etsuko noted, "and those chips were really tasty. What's the big deal?"

"What's the big deal?" Kagome yelled back, "Those were my last bags! And Inuyasha you don't normally eat those anyway!"

"Chill out, Kagome! I had one and I couldn't stop! Besides, it was just a couple of bags! I don't see what's so wrong about this!"

"Yeah," Etsuko said, "and why would you keep them all to yourself and not share? Inuyasha said you have plenty of these in your world, what's the harm in us eating just two?"

Ugh! Etsuko and Inuyasha really were two of a kind!

"They were supposed to be a gift for Jineji!" she screamed. Those idiots! What was she supposed to give him now?

"Well, we weren't going to give him thanks, we were going to get a cure for the city, so stop wasting time and let's keep going!" Inuyasha ordered. Kagome glared at the half-demon. How could he be so heartless? And Etsuko? Come on! Kagome had high hopes that for once she could travel with a demon that was at least _sane_! Unlike Inuyasha!

"Wait, those were a gift?" Etsuko asked, as if on cue. Kagome looked up at Etsuko. Her eyebrows knit together and her eyes stared in Kagome's general direction with worry.

"Y-yeah, for Jinenji," Kagome sighed. Etsuko's eyes widened and she covered her mouth.

"Oh no! Inuyasha, you asshole! Why didn't you say that?" Etsuko growled. Inuyasha glared at Etsuko and threw his hands in the air.

"Hey! Don't look at me! I didn't know! And you were the one who was digging through Kagome's bag to begin with!" Inuyasha growled back.

Etsuko let out a growl as she crossed her arms and turned away from Inuyasha, "whatever," she grunted.

"Hey! Don't give me that sass!" Inuyasha shouted. Ignoring him, Etsuko turned to Kagome and grasped her hands.

"I'm really sorry, Kagome, I had no idea those were a gift," Etsuko apologized. Kagome just stood there in shock. Etsuko continued, "let me make this up to you. You said Jinenji grows medicinal herbs, right? So that means he knows his plant species, right?"

"Um, yeah I guess so," Kagome blinked a few times. Was Etsuko being serious? Etsuko backed away from Kagome and smiled.

"Right, if you guys want to go on ahead, I'll go put something together for Jinenji in place of those chips, okay?" Etsuko offered. Although the gesture was sweet, and totally proved the priestess wrong, Kagome didn't want Etsuko to bother. They needed to stick together, right? But before she could say anything, the dog demon took off, running for the trees.

* * *

**Rin**

"HEEEEEELP!" she screamed as a severed demon arm grabbed hold of her. Her fear didn't last for long, however, as Lord Sesshomaru quickly came to cut her free. She fell out of the arm's grasp and into a bush screaming, but sat up, unharmed.

"Excellent aim, Lord Sesshomaru!" Jaken praised.

Out of pure glee, Rin called out, "You're so dashing, Lord Sesshomaru!" Her joy was short-lived, however, as the arm dissipated into poisonous demon insects.

"Saimyosho!" Jaken whaled in horror as he fell back.

"Jaken," Sesshomaru ordered, "there is a hive nearby."

Yes, Milord! I will locate it!" Jaken responded. Rin looked for the hive as well, while Sesshomaru fought the poisonous insects. When he finally destroyed them, Rin found the hive.

"Up there, Master Jaken!" Rin said as she pointed to the hive in the tree. But as if on cue, masses of Saimyosho poured out of the hive and began attacking them. Rin screamed and covered her head as Master Jaken shot at the Saimyosho with his staff of two heads.

"Stay down Rin!" Jaken ordered as he stood over her. Rin didn't move. Master Jaken…

Sesshomaru quickly intervened and took out the Saimyosho with his sword, Tokijin. Rin looked up long enough to see Lord Sesshomaru standing across from her as he sheathed his sword. Thank goodness for Lord Sesshomaru!

Jaken began to run towards Lord Sesshomaru when Rin caught notice of two more bugs. She gasped, "Master Jaken, look out!" but she was too late. The insects attacked Jaken and stung him before taking off. Master Jaken let out a scream and fell to his knees.

"They got me! They got me! Help!" Jaken screamed. Rin turned to ask Lord Sesshomaru for help, but he took off, chasing the Saimyosho. "Rin, help me pull the stingers out!"

Rin nodded and knelt down. She gulped as she hesitantly reached for the massive red stingers. As her finger grazed over one, however, they dissolved quickly into Master Jaken's arm.

* * *

**Etsuko**

"Well, these should do the trick," I grinned as I tied the bouquet of medicinal flowers. I couldn't tell what this bouquet looked like, but I once heard from Kushi that the best and rarest medicinal plants had the prettiest blooms, and I knew what their roots were shaped like! So hopefully if they turn out to look like trash, at least Jinenji can appreciate the use he'll get out of them! I smiled to myself and began to head back to the others when I heard a shriek.

And a very annoying one at that.

I turned to the direction of the scream…was that…Jaken?

Without thinking I dropped the bouquet and ran as fast as I could. If Jaken was there then surely, surely my father had to be there as well! He just had to!

As I drew closer, Jaken's and a young girl's form came into view. But Dad's was nowhere to be found. I pushed through the bushes, the toad was rolling on the ground screaming "I'M DYING! I'M DYING!" at the top of his lungs. Ugh…that toad was exactly as I remembered him…

"Master Jaken! Please, tell me what to do, you can't die!" a little girl wept next to him. I observed the two, very confused.

"Um…excuse me?" I interjected. Both jumped and faced me. Jaken screamed again while the girl leapt to her feet. As she did, I recognized her as the little girl I helped out of the hole not too long ago…Rin was her name?

"Etsuko!" the girl cried and gave me a tight hug, "It's you!"

"Yeah! Hi, how are you?" I smiled, placing my hand on Rin's head. Jaken fell backwards and continued to wale.

"WAAAAAAAAH! Y-Y-Y-Y-YOU'RE THE GHOST OF ETSUKO!" Jaken cried as he ran over to a nearby tree and began to bang his head.

"Jaken," I began, "I'm not a—"

"Oh woes me! You must be here to take my soul to the netherworld!" Jaken sobbed.

"Dude, I'm alive. I'm no ghost!" I said.

"Oh PLEASE HAVE MERCY ON MY SOOOOOUL!" by this point Jaken was rolling on the ground. Groaning, I swung my foot and kicked the toad demon in the face, knocking him back into the tree.

"Calm down! I'm not a ghost! It's just me! Etsuko!" I yelled. Jaken sat up and watched me, his head moving up and down as if he couldn't believe I was standing before him.

"But you're supposed to be dead!" he screamed.

"So are you," I retorted, "and so is Dad. But apparently, he isn't. And you obviously aren't."

Jaken looked down and let out a whimper, "oh, but I will be here shortly!" and with that he lied on the ground and began to cry again. "Oh Rin…" he blubbered, "please tell Lord Sesshomaru that I will be praying…I'll be praying for his triumph…from my resting place in the netherworld!"

As his sobbing continued, I sighed. What was he talking about? Whatever it was, Rin grew beside herself and knelt down beside Jaken, letting out the saddest little whimpers I'd ever heard.

"Master Jaken, please don't talk like that! You can't die! I'll do anything!" she pleaded.

Jaken lifted his head, "R-really?"

Rin nodded, "Just tell me what to do."

"Okay, okay, hold on! What are you two talking about? What happened? And where is my dad?" I asked. Jaken jumped and cowered behind Rin as if he had forgotten I existed. Rin however, turned to me and sighed.

"This is all my fault," she whimpered, "I was looking for food but was attacked by Saimyosho, poisonous insects, Master Jaken came to protect me, but he got stung instead."

"Saimyosho?" I raised an eyebrow. Those were some scary things…but since when were bugs like those able to creep this far west? We were still within the Ryoshima Coast line and Ryoshima was a part of Nippon, the westernmost portion of Japan that was under the sacred protection of Sakuya, so how could Saimyosho enter these lands? I knelt down, "Jaken, where is the antidote for Saimyosho miasma?"

Ignoring me, Jaken said, "Rin, listen carefully. You have to go to an herb garden known as Jinenji's garden. There you will find the berries from the 1000 year flower. It's my only hope!"

"The 1000 year flower? Got it," Rin said confidently. I looked from Rin to Jaken and back.

"Hold on, Jaken," I said. Jaken jumped and shrieked again.

"You're still here? Be gone, ghost! I still have a shot at living so I don't want to be haunted by you anymore!" he ordered.

I sighed, "Jaken! For the last time, I'm not a ghost! And why don't you let me go get that flower for you? It's a long journey for a little girl like Rin and I was actually on my way to see Jinenji in the first place."

"WAAAAH!" Jaken screamed, "What makes me think I can trust you? Who is to say that you aren't going to disappear and wait to collect my soul?"

"Um, I know that won't happen because for the last time, I'm not a ghost and the miasma is obviously going to your head, dipwad!" I growled, placing my hands on my hips. Geez, I had almost forgotten how irritating Master Jaken could be!

Jaken sighed sadly, "you're right. I'm talking to a dead girl…I obviously must be seeing things!"

I groaned, giving up.

Rin turned to me and noted, "Etsuko, I don't think Master Jaken realizes that you exist…"

I sighed, "I don't either, Rin…here, we're losing time so why don't you get on Dragon's back and we'll go get those berries, okay?"

Rin nodded, "okay! Come on Ah-Un, we have to go!"

"Ah-Un?" I raised an eyebrow. But as if to respond, Dragon let out a roar and flew to Rin's side. But…his name was Dragon…wasn't it? That's what I always called him (I'm not very creative with names, okay?)

Rin turned to me, "yeah, that's their names! Ah and Un and I are very best of friends."

I stood there for a moment, taken aback slightly. But he was one dragon with two heads…and his name was Dragon. Why did I have a horrible feeling forming in the pit of my stomach? Never the less, I mounted Dragon (I would not call him Ah-Un. His name was and always would be Dragon) behind Rin and we took off. I groaned as Dragon lifted off the ground, my sight disappearing, and I held the reigns tightly.

"Alright, Dragon," I said, "Jinenji's garden is roughly three miles northeast of here, can you take us there?"

Dragon didn't respond, but instead rose farther in the air. Confused, I snapped the reigns lightly, "We're going to Jinenji's garden, okay, Dragon?"

Dragon turned one of its heads towards me and let out a confused moan. What was going on? Why wasn't Dragon listening to me?

"Um…I think Ah-Un is a bit afraid of strangers," Rin offered kindly. At that, I swear a never in my head popped. HIS NAME IS DRAGON. And what was this about strangers? I was no stranger to him! We were best friends! Trying to be helpful, Rin innocently turned her head forward and asked, "Ah-Un, can you take us to Jinenji's garden? I think Etsuko said it was three miles northeast of here."

And that, was when Dragon (oh, I'm sorry, _Ah-Un_) responded the way I had expected him to. With a nod and a light roar, he took off flying as fast as he could towards the garden. I clamped tightly onto the reigns just above Rin's hands, not sure whether my uneasy feeling was coming from the fact that we were flying and I couldn't see or this strange response I've been getting from Dragon and Jaken…

First I'm a ghost, and then Jaken assumes I'm some hallucination, refusing to acknowledge my existence, then Dragon's name is changed and he won't even respond to me. Something just didn't seem right.

I sighed. Maybe this was just me.

Or maybe I was in for a cruel and unusual reality check.

* * *

Oh dang! Shit's about to go down! I can feel it! Etsuko and Sesshomaru are barely dancing aroudn each other, just missing the other by a hair! Will they finally reunite? Or is Etsuko in for a bigger surprise than she signed up for? Or both? Well, I don't even know yet and I'm the author so just keep reading! But don't take misinterperet that as I don't know what I'm doing because I have direction for this! I just have to decide on pacing! But fear not! Things will be sure to heat up in the next chapter! :D


	10. Chapter 9

I am an evil genius. That is all.

ENJOI

* * *

**Inuyasha**

"It was this way, wasn't it, Inuyasha?" Kagome asked. At that, the hanyo's temper flared.

"Oh, so _now_ my opinion's important?" he grumbled.

"Oh, you still aren't mad about that are you? Okay, I'm sorry for being rude earlier. There, you happy?" Kagome "apologized" Inuyasha groaned. She's just saying that as usual.

The wind began to blow, sending a familiar scent to Inuyasha's nose. Oh great…Inuyasha sniffed the air.

"Is something the matter, Inuyasha?" Kagome asked. Inuyasha let out a growl, drawing his sword.

"Naraku's poisonous insects!" he announced, pointing at two Saimyosho heading their way.

"Wait a minute Inuyasha!" Miroko halted. Inuyasha turned to the monk confused, but instead Miroko spoke to Kagome, "do you sense any sacred jewel shards around here?"

Kagome shook her head, "no, none at all."

"And I don't see any demon puppets either. Perhaps those insects are going back to Naraku," Miroko offered.

Inuyasha sheathed his sword. Perfect timing! "Then what are we waiting for?" the hanyo shouted as he took off following the insects.

The group chased the Saimyosho as fast as they could, gaining considerable distance in the direction east of Jinenji's. As they chased the insects, Inuyasha began to wonder…would Etsuko be able to find them if they wander this far from the trail to Jinenji's?

"Should we really be taking off without Etsuko? She hasn't come back yet and what if she can't find us?" Kagome asked, confirming Inuyahsa's concern.

But still, Inuyasha brushed the thought off, "Oh come on, Kagome, Etsuko's a strong girl! She can find us with her nose if she has to!" She can find them. Definitely. Inuyasha's concern was blown away, however, as the insects dropped to the ground suddenly.

"They're falling!" Shippo screamed. The group halted, eyeing the dead insects suspiciously. Their stingers were missing. "Are they dead?" Shippo asked.

Inuyasha tapped on with his foot, "Yeah…looks like it." The hanyo inhaled deeply as what he thought was Etsuko's scent caught his nose. So she found them afterall!

Inuyasha turned and began to call out, "Hey! Etsu-!" but was cut off as a glowing orb blew past him, stopping, and changing into an unfortunately familiar form. That's not Etsuko….

"Sesshomaru!" Inuyasha growled, grabbing the hilt of his sword, "What are you doing here?"

Sesshomaru, his expression fixated into a glare that was even more grudging than usual, ignored Inuyasha and began his own interrogation, "Inuyasha, did you kill the Saimyosho?"

Inuyasha paused; "Saimyosho?" was that what those things are called?

Sesshomaru scoffed, "you are so short-sited. I was following the Saimyosho to Naraku, but no I have nothing to go off of, thanks to you."

"Hey, I didn't kill those Saimyosho!" Inuyasha protested. Why did Sesshomaru assume everything was his fault? Couldn't that dog tell the bugs were missing their stingers?

"Always full of excuses, Inuyasha," Sesshomaru growled and drew his sword. Inuyasha's anger boiled over and drew the Tetsusaiga.

"I don't have to make any excuses to you, Sesshomaru!" Inuyasha growled and lunged toward his brother. Inuyasha couldn't help but notice his brother's expression turn suddenly from anger to that of an inexplicable anguish before dissipating altogether in a flash.

"I'm not feeling particularly magnanimous today, I won't go easy on you as I have in the past," Sesshomaru sighed.

"Cut the crap!" Inuyasha growled as their blades crossed.

"Cut it out! Both of you!" Kagome shouted from behind. Ignoring her, Inuyasha continued to fight, he and Sesshomaru both leaping through the air, trying to strike the other with a fatal blow.

* * *

**Etsuko**

"Wow!" Rin guffawed, "An herbal garden, I can't believe it!"

I couldn't believe it either. This place looked like nothing more than a shack in the middle of really bad farm soil! Perhaps the place looked a lot better to seeing eyes than my pitiful excuse for echo-location, but man, I was not impressed. Sighing, I followed Rin into the shack.

As we stepped in, I noticed an old woman sitting by a fire and a gigantic half-demon hiding under a blanket. Rin poked her head in first and spoke up, "Um, excuse me—"

The old woman turned and growled, "What do you want?" Rin gasped and stepped back into me. I poked my head in as well, letting the old lady know this girl wasn't traveling alone, and I placed a hand protectively on Rin's shoulder. The woman turned her attention towards me, "What? A demon? What the hell are you two doing here?"

I said nothing but squeezed Rin's shoulder, urging the girl to continue, she did so, shyly asking, "is Jinenji here?"

The woman groaned and turned away, "Jinenji's not seeing anyone today, go home!"

Rin backed into me for a moment. I sighed and began to speak for her, but Rin quickly regained her confidence and turned toward the blankets, saying, "You're here, aren't you Jinenji?"

In response, the massive half demon shifted under the covers.

Rin stepped into the shack more and begged, "Please, I need your help. I'm looking for the Sinenso berries. My friend has been poisoned and could die any minute!"

"That's a shame," Jinenji responded sadly, "but I don't have any Sinenso berries with me. Go home."

Rin stood there for a moment in shock, not sure how to respond. I narrowed my eyes, anger boiling up inside. This was the Jinenji Kagome was praising so highly of?

Finally, I spoke up, "So this is the Jinenji my friends spoke so highly of? The kind Jinenji who saved their lives with his powerful antidote? What's the matter with you? Come on now, come out!"

"You're just an ignorant demon and a little girl so you two wouldn't understand," the witch barked, "Jinenji is a half demon. From time to time his appearance changes and Jinenji takes on a human form. He's such a coward, he doesn't want anyone to see his human self!"

At that, Rin ran up to the old lady, grabbing her shoulders, "then please tell me where I can find the berries, Jinenji, I'll go get them myself!"

"Woah!" I protested, "that is not a good idea Rin, you'll kill yourself!"

Rin turned back to me, and I imagined her giving me a harsh glare, "I'm strong, I can get them by myself!" she protested.

The witch interrupted, "The Sinenso berries are used as an antidote by demons. Are you trying to save a demon, little girl?"

Rin nodded her head.

"Do you mean you are smitten with this demon?" the witch's jaw dropped.

"ABSOLUTELY NOT!" I shouted, pulling Rin behind me, "she's a little kid and is most definitely NOT smitten with Jaken! That's disgusting!"

"Smitten?" Rin asked, innocently confused.

"Oh never mind, dear," the witch said, blushing and placing her hand to her cheek, "you're so young you couldn't possibly understand. I was like you once. Young and innocent…"

"That's disgusting," I groaned.

The witch turned to me angrily, "Well what to you know? You're just an ignorant little girl! I'll bet you any money, you'll find yourself smitten with a human yourself! Then you'll sure to be one to judge me!"

"Over my dead body!" I shouted back, "it's bad enough having pigs like men trying to protect me, much less a _human_ man who can't do anything!"

"Never mind that!" Rin groaned, running over to Jinenji. She lifted the covers just enough to see two large blue eyes, I have to try to save master Jaken!"

"You resemble Kagome…" Jinenji noted, he then continued, "the Sinenso grows in the revine of the mountain out back, but there are lots of demons and beasts in the area. A human would never make it back alive…when it's dark, I will return to normal, why don't you wait until then?"

"But it'll be too late!" Rin begged, "tell me what the berries look like, I'll go get them myself!"

* * *

**Sesshomaru**

Inuyasha…he was such a weak demon, easily overcome by Sesshomaru's power when Sesshomaru had put hardly any effort. He would end this battle quickly.

"This is bad," he heard the priestess say, "those two will never stop, and I'm worried that Etsuko hasn't come back yet!"

What? Sesshomaru lost focus long enough for his swing to miss. Inuyasha took the chance to unleash a weak Windscar, knocking Sesshomaru off his feet.

"Had enough, Sesshomaru?" Inuyasha laughed. The demon stood. That name, why would that human girl utter such a name?

Ignoring his brother, Sesshomaru turned to Kagome, "who is this Etsuko you speak of?"

Kagome gasped, caught off guard. Inuyasha stepped in front of her and growled, "That's none of your business!"

Inuyasha lunged towards Sesshomaru, but the dog demon punched his brother hard in the jaw, knocking him to the ground.

"Priestess, you mention the name Etsuko. Is this a companion of yours?" Sesshomaru asked.

Panicking, Kagome stepped back, refusing to answer. How annoying humans could be. But the priestess regained her composure and glared at Sesshomaru, "she's a friend of ours, you got a problem with that?"

"Is she a dog demon?" Sesshomaru asked. Why was he even bothering? The Etsuko they were acquaintances with was entirely different from the Etsuko Sesshomaru knew. Besides, why would his daughter be hanging around with _these _people if she were alive anyway?

"I said that's none of your business! WINDSCAR!" Inuyasha growled. Infuriated, Sesshomaru blew the Windscar aside with his Tokijin, leaping toward's Inuyasha, knocking the Tetsusaiga aside and Inuyasha onto the ground.

"I win this time, Inuyasha," Sesshomaru glared at his younger brother, "are you prepare to die?"

"I don't care about my life," Inuyasha scoffed, "kill me an get it overwith!"

"Indeed," Sesshomaru noted. But for some odd reason, the dog demon hesitated. Was he prepared to kill his brother? Dammit! Pushing the thoughts aside, Sesshomaru squeezed the hilt of his sword, ready to lop Inuyasha's head off.

"Wait!" Kagome shouted, halting Sesshomaru, "You're looking for Naraku right? Head in the direction of the Ox-Tiger. Someone sensed Naraku heading that way!"

"In the direction of the Ox-Tiger?" Sesshomaru asked, "And what of this Etsuko girl?"

"She's just a friend of ours, she's a brown-haired girl with dog demon markings similar to yours. But she's blind and harmless, she's no threat to you!"

"Kagome, shut it!" Inuyasha growled.

Sesshomaru ignored his brother, "that' is all I need to know, thank you." With that, he sheathed Tokijin and began to walk away stating, "you were fortunate this time, Inuyasha."

"Wait, Sesshomaru!" Inuyasha shouted, "don't you dare hurt Etsuko!"

At that Sesshomaru stopped, "don't make me laugh, Inuyasha. The only people in this world I intend to kill are you and Naraku."

"But why are you after Naraku?" Inuyasha asked.

Sesshomaru continued forward but added, "I have a score to settle."

As he moved, Sesshomaru caught wind of Rin's scent, far from where he left her and Jaken. And this other scent that was with Rin…no, it couldn't be…

But that description of Inuyasha's new traveling companion. A dark haired, blind, dog-demon girl named Etsuko…

Sesshomaru changed his direction of travel to the ravine where Rin and Etsuko's scents were coming from. A horrible feeling began to form in the pit of his stomach, an unpleasantly familiar scent also joining the two girls.

That can't be good…

* * *

**Issun**

A horrible chill ran down the poncle's spine. The duo had picked up Etsuko's scent in a revine just a few miles from them, but as they got closer, Issun couldn't help but feel an ominous presence along with her. Ominous being a severe understatement.

"Do you feel that, Ammy?" Issun asked?

_It's hard to ignore,_ Ammy groaned, letting out a small whimper as her ears flattened.

"Do you think Etsuko's in trouble?" Issun asked.

_She's been in trouble. That thing has been following her ever since we caught onto her scent, we best hurry if we're going to reach her in time!_ Ammy noted, breaking out into a sprint.

"Hang on, Pup," Issun muttered, "we'll save you!"

* * *

**Rin**

Horrifying demons stared at Rin hungrily as she backed away, terrified. One of them began to move, opening its mouth, trying to eat her. Rin screamed and covered her eyes. A beam of light from one of Ah-Un's mouths destroyed the demon, and Etsuko scooped Rin in her arms, destroying the rest of the demon's with her claws.

"Dammit, Rin, this was a bad idea!" Etsuko scolded, "You're going to kill yourself!"

"I'm sorry, Etsuko," Rin apologized as she hopped back on the ground, "but thank you! And thank you took Ah-Un!"

Ah-Un lifted their heads up and let out a happy roar. Etsuko sighed, motioning for Rin to follow.

"Just be careful," she ordered. Rin nodded happily. It was so funny to see how alike Etsuko and Lord Sesshomaru were, especially when they put on their tough demon personas.

They walked further, Rin staring down at a drawing of the berries. She glanced upward and noticed a flower that looked just like the drawing.

"There it is!" Rin cheered and began to run toward the cliff face, "come on, Etsuko!" Rin smiled, but as she looked back, she noticed a horrified expression on the demon's face.

* * *

**Etsuko**

I could smell it, a horrible horrible stench that had come across my nose only once before. It was the smell of the monster who attacked my family on that dreaded night, years before. It's scent was so overwhelming I couldn't figure out where the demon was. Rin stopped and turned towards me, confused.

"What's wrong Etsuko?" she asked.

Fear and panic over took my well-being as I backed away from her, "it's coming. Rin, we have to get out of here!"

"What's coming? Etsuko, what's going on?" Rin asked, taking a step towards me. But I noticed too late the demons lurking underground. I snapped back to reality, pushing the scent out of my nose.

"Rin look out!" I screamed, just as the demons came out of the ground, attacking Rin. Ah-Un was quick to annihilate them.

"Sorry, Ah-Un!" Rin screamed, "keep them at bay, I'm going to get the berries!" she then turned and began to climb the cliff.

"Rin, wait," I began.

Rin turned back, "we don't have time! The sun will be setting soon!"

"I know that," I said, "but please, you have to hurry. There is something terrible lurking around in this revine."

Rin paused, gulping, "you mean something worse than these demons?"

I nodded, "let's just say…there's only one demon who has ever been strong enough to overcome my father…and that dates back to the night we both supposedly died."

I'm not sure whether Rin understood what I was saying or not, but she quickly began climbing up the cliff. I bit my lip, damn…I should've been the one to climb that thing…I took a step forward, making sure I could catch the girl if she were to fall. Thankfully she reached the flowers and began pull out the plant. As she did, however, Dragon came flying back to me, letting out a terrified roar.

"What's wrong, Dragon?" I asked, but a massive earthquake knocked me off my feet, the ground crumpling beneath me. Screaming, I took to the air, my hands waving frantically, searching for something I could grab onto.

Before you ask anything, yes, I can fly. I can also transform into a giant dog, much like any other dog demon. I typically stay on the ground and in my human form for two reasons: 1) my dad kind of "died" before he could teach me how to transform and 2) I can't see for the gods' sakes, so why the hell would I leave my sanctuary that is the solid, heavenly, ground?

Of course for this situation, when the ground was obliterated, I was left with no choice but to fly. Screaming, the entire time, I called out, "RIIIN! Are you okay?"

"Etsuko! Help!" Rin shreaked. The loud rumbling noise that rang through my ear told me there was another earthquake, and Rin was barely able to hold on.

"Hang on! I'm coming!" I shouted back, my hand reaching forward. I grasped onto an exposed tree root, slamming into the cliff face. Rin was just a few feet above me. I began to climb. She was just above me, shaking with fear and struggling to pull the plant out. I began to hoist myself up to help her.

But the earth shook again, and it shook so violently that I my head slammed against the cliff and I nearly lost consciousness. This would be the second time that I saw light through my eyes, but I don't think this was my spirit eye working.

"Etsuko!" Rin called out. When I regained focus, I realized that I had slipped three feet and my claws were digging into the rock as I dangled freely.

"I'm okay!" I shouted back, "just hang on!" I began to climb again, but I felt so dizzy. The earth shook again, pulling the plant free, but Rin began to fall. I reached out my hand to grab her, our hands barely grazed each other.

"Lord Sesshomaru!" Rin called out, her little hand quickly pulled away from mine just as she did so. Another form holding Rin's unconscious body landed on top of the ravine. That form…it was Dad! Before I could say anything, the earth shook again, causing me to lose my grip and I began to fall.

I screamed as I fell, suddenly overcome by the strange demon's terrifying presence.

"ETSUKO!" my father's voice called out for me.

"DAAAAAAAD!" I shrieked in response. The monster was coming for me. The monster was going to kill me.

"Ah-Un, take Rin!" my dad ordered. The next thing I knew, a hand gently grabbed onto mine and pulled me towards a chest. My fall slowed to a gentle float. I buried my head into my father's chest, fighting the tears.

"Dad? Is that you?" I asked in disbelief.

"I could ask you the same thing," Dad responded, breathless.

An evil voice chuckled behind me as I tensed. Dad didn't seem to respond though…was it all in my head?

_Don't get your hopes up, Etsuko…_ an evil voice taunted. It was different from the one that haunted my dreams, but its scent was the same as I remembered. Could there have been two demons involved in that night? _I'm going to KILL YOU_.

Just as it said that a stringy tail wrapped around my waste, yanking me out of my father's arms. I let out a yelp. Before I realized what was happening, the tail thrashed me around, slamming my head hard against a rock, then dropped my body on the ground. I barely made out the shape of a gargantuan fox with nine tails just before losing consciousness.

* * *

**Sesshomaru**

This couldn't be happening. Was this Etsuko he was holding in his arm? It certainly smelled and sounded like her but she…she grew. She grew a lot. Sesshomaru almost didn't recognize her, but one look in her frightened, glazed-over golden eyes told him the truth. It really was her.

"Dad? Is that you?" Etsuko asked, sounding a little dazed and confused. She must've hit her head.

Nodding his head, Sesshomaru still couldn't believe his eyes, "I could ask you the same thing," he managed to choke out.

Just as he was about to relax, however, he noticed two very large and menacing eyes glaring at them. The monstrous figure let out a roar, one of its tails grabbing hold of Etsuko and pulling her out of Sesshomaru's arms, thrashing her around violently before knocking her unconscious.

"Bastard!" Sesshomaru cursed, unsheathing his Tokijin, preparing to fight.

"Oh, come now, Sesshomaru, let's not get too hasty," the fox warned. Sesshomaru recognized this twisted voice. It was the demon who took over the Priestess Rao's body.

"You," Sesshomaru growled, "are you here to finish what you started?"

"Oh, nonsense, Sesshomaru," the fox taunted, "I was just here to check on this dear little curse of yours." Curse? That fox dare call Etsuko a curse? This wench was just toying with him. "I mean, she is a goner after all. Her very soul is in the grasp of that pathetic half demon, Naraku, along with her mother's heart. I'm just here to make a progress report."

"She what?" Sesshomaru gasped, "Tell me where Naraku is!"

"Let's not get too hasty, Sesshomaru," the fox warned, "if you kill Naraku now, you'll take Etsuko's life along with his. Haven't you noticed by now? Clearly it was more than eyesight that Etsuko lost upon her birth. She was doomed from the start. Her body was weak, not even able to transform. It wasn't until you left the picture that she was able to truly fend for herself. Even with you here now, her body falters. Demon's shouldn't be knocked unconscious so easily."

Sesshomaru froze, staring at Etsuko's limp body. Her head was hit pretty hard, but the fox was right, after living on her own for so long, Etsuko shouldn't have seemed to helpless in his arm, even if she was blind in the air. She was smarter than that. And she shouldn't have been knocked unconscious with that blow. Dazed, maybe, but even Inuyasha wouldn't falter with that kind of blow. And Sesshomaru would know because he's delivered one that hard to his half-brother plenty of times.

Still, something wasn't adding up. "Just what are you trying to say, wench?" Sesshomaru asked. The fox laughed.

"Isn't it obvious? You're her curse, Sesshomaru! The closer you are to her, the weaker she is. Your very presence is killing her!" the fox explained, "the only reason she was able to live even this long is because you weren't there!"

"Th-that's impossible," Sesshomaru stammered. He was…he was killing her? What?

"Oh don't give me that look, Sesshomaru, if you really wanted to save her you would die already!" the fox roared, striking the ground with one of its tails. Sesshomaru leapt out of the way, swinging his sword at the monster.

"DRAGONSTRIKE!" Sesshomaru shouted, attacking the fox, knocking it on its back. The fox sat up, growling at Sesshomaru, but then it snickered, turning its attention toward Etsuko.

"This goes against my deal with Naraku, but perhaps I should just put your darling curse out of her misery!" the fox roared, raising one of its tails.

"NO!" Sesshomaru screamed, running to Etsuko's aid, but he wasn't fast enough.

Just as the fox struck Etsuko, a heaven-sent white wolf came down with a fierce attack, slashing at the fox's eye with her tail.

_POWERSLASH!_ A woman's voice called out. The fox howled, leaving Etsuko alone, and fell backward.

"this…this isn't over, Sesshomaru! I will be back for you! But in the meantime, I suggest you save that little imp friend of yours before the miasma overcomes him at sunset!" With that the fox disappeared, along with any trace of its scent.

Sesshomaru sheathed Tokijin and looked up at the sky. Was the fox talking about Jaken? Sesshomaru thought back…the two Saimyosho…did they sting him? Sesshomaru scoffed, kicking himself for being so stupid. The sun would be setting soon, but it was still only late afternoon, Sesshomaru looked back at Rin and Ah-Uh, waiting for him at the top of the ravine. The girl held a clump of Sinenso berries in her hand. That's why Rin had ventured so far…but where did Etsuko come in?

Sesshomaru turned and went over to Etsuko. He lifted her head off the ground, cradling her in his arm. She still wore that panicked expression on her face that he remembered all those years ago, but her skin wasn't ice cold, and her heart was beating. She was alive! But her face…it was so pale…and she looked so sick. She didn't appear that ill when he first arrived. Could what the fox had said been true after all?

The white wolf sprinted over to the two, her golden eyes staring down at Etsuko with worry. Sesshomaru watched her in awe. This was no ordinary wolf.

"Shiranui," Sesshomaru said, recognizing the god. Hundreds of years ago, when Orochi still ruled, Shiranui had fought with Sesshomaru's father on a number of occasions. Demons and gods refused to cooperate, even though most demons were against Orochi's reign and wanted nothing more than peace between on earth and the Celestial Plain.

A green bug popped out of Shiranui's white fur, bouncing furiously. Hm…seems the pint-sized warrior was still traveling with her.

"Ammy, do you know this guy?" the bug asked. He was an annoying little thing.

_Young Sesshomaru, _Shiranui eyed Etsuko with concern and then glared at Sesshomaru with suspicion, _You know Etsuko?_

"She is my daughter," Sesshomaru explained, leaving Shiranui and the pint-sized warrior both in shock. Sesshomaru grimaced, watching Etsuko's face grow even sicklier, "She is my pitiful, cursed, daughter!" With that Sesshomaru set Etsuko down and stood abruptly, taking a few steps away. He couldn't help but notice color returning to Etsuko's cheeks.

_Sesshomaru, what do you mean? Etsuko told us that her parents had died, and what about this curse you speak of? _Shiranui asked, narrowing her eyes.

Sesshomaru didn't know where to begin; he was still trying to sort the news out for himself. He turned back to Etsuko, that terrified expression on her face would never leave his memory. Sighing Sesshomaru said, "are you two her friends?"

Shiranui nodded and the pint-sized warrior bounced shouting, "of course we are!"

"Then don't tell her I was here," Sesshomaru said, "any memory of me today was nothing more than a dream."

"What?" the pint-sized warrior asked, "but sir, you're Etsuko's _father_! She thinks that you're dead! You can't just leave her!"

"Bug," Sesshomaru scolded, the pint-sized warrior halted, "if you want what's good for her, you best make sure to keep me away from Etsuko. Until her curse is lifted, she can't be anywhere near me. Do you understand?"

The bug didn't answer, but Shiranui nodded, confused, but warned, _I don't know what's going on, but if you're any danger to her, I can assure you that I will not hesitate to kill you._

"It's not like I intend to be of any harm to my daughter," Sesshomaru snarled back, "this curse she was born with…it is much more dangerous than simply blinding her, and if she is going to live, I can't be near her. I will be the one to break her curse, but you best keep her safe until I do."

_Understood,_ Shiranui responded in a low tone. With that Sesshomaru turned away, he needed to hurry if he was going to get Jaken the Sinenso berries in time. He motioned for Ah-Un to leave. Sesshomaru lifted off the ground, but turned to take one last glance at his daughter.

Etsuko began to wake, disoriented, but appearing immediately better than she did when she was in his arms. The girl began to sniff the air, she couldn't see him, but Sesshomaru knew Etsuko could smell him.

"Where's my father?" Etsuko asked.

_Whatever do you mean?_ She asked, _your father hasn't been here, Etsuko, we just found you alone in this ravine and unconscious, _Shiranui lied, keeping her promise.

"Yeah, I know," Etsuko insisted, stubborn as ever, "I was with Rin, we were looking for some antidote to save our friend Jaken. I fell and my dad saved me."

_It seems you hit your head pretty hard, _Shiranui pushed, _indeed, we saw that girl, but the dragon she was with saved the two of you, but later took off with Rin when we arrived. But your father wasn't here._

Etsuko growled, "But I smell him!" she insisted, "he was here, I'm sure!"

Shiranui turned back to look at Sesshomaru. She gave him a pained look, and Sesshomaru bit his lip, fighting back the wave of emotions he had. Shiranui closed her eyes and continued.

_I assure, you, Etsuko, your father wasn't here. You must have been dreaming it. I thought he was dead, remember? _Shiranui's voice wavered at that. Sesshomaru watched Etsuko's form sulk as his little girl broke out into frustrated tears as the wolf consoled her. The dog demon wanted nothing more than to run back down there and comfort her, but he knew his efforts would only bring more harm than good.

"I'm sorry, Etsuko," Sesshomaru muttered, allowing a tear to escape his eye, "I'm so so sorry." And with that, Sesshomaru left. He had to find Naraku. He had to break this curse. He turned one more time to get one last look of his daughter.

He just hope that wouldn't be the last.

* * *

Oh SHIT! That sucks, now doesn't it? Will Sesshomaru be able to break the curse? Will the plague in Sei-An be lifted? How will Etsuko be able to put her life back together? Will they find Naraku? Will Inuyasha ever stop being stupid? All will be revealed in moderation throughout the next chapters! :D


	11. Chapter 10

2 chapters in one week! Yeehaw! This is a bit of a fluffy chapter, so my apologies to fans who aren't fans of Sesshomaru's boa...I needed to work on some character development as I centered my thoughts to focuse more on the plot in the coming chapters...we're jumping back and forth between Okami and Inuyasha plotlines here and it is full on mind blowing from here on out guys so brace yourselves for the next chapters to come!

Well anyway, my apologies for the fluffyness again if you aren't a fan of that kind of stuff...but I do recommend you read this chapter anyway because there are some important pieces in it. So without further adue,

ENJOI

* * *

**Etsuko**

The nightmares doubled that night. First the usual one, the night I lost everything. But then the Priestess Rao haunted my slumber. Not the "Rao" who left us for Dragon bait, but the Rao I remember from years before, the Rao that tried to restore the light to my eyes.

"_I've never seen anything like this before," she gasps, backing away from me in fear. _

"_What? What is it?" father asks, the subtle hint of terror rising from deep within his throat._

"_This is more than just a bad omen, Lord Sesshomaru," Rao begins, "oh no, this is much much worse…"_

"_What are you talking about? What nonsense are you babbling on about?" Father begs. _

"_Cursed…this child is cursed! She is in grave danger, I fear!" Rao shouts, horrified. _

_Curse? What's a curse? What does that mean? Where's the danger? What curse?_

"_What do you mean she's cursed? She can't be cursed!" Father roars. _

"_Lord Sesshomaru, if you know what is good for you, what's good for your daughter, you will put this child out of her misery. End this curse before more is taken away from your family than mere eyesight! End this suffering before it begins!" Rao screams, "this is a cursed child!"_

I woke with a start after that dream. Unfortunately I didn't have time to recover as sleep dragged me back in. The next dream started out as what I thought was a memory, but Amaterasu and Issun both claimed didn't actually happen.

_I'm falling from the cliff, Rin is screaming, but then I hear my father's voice cry out, "ETSUKO!" _

_The next thing I know he is cradling me in his arms…er…arm. I wrap my arms around him tightly and my hand grazes across a stump at the base of his forearm, where his elbow should've been. Too panicked, I don't even think about it. His scent, his voice, his warmth. It has to be my dad._

"_Dad? Is that you?" I ask, but I already know the answer. My heart races, but I begin to relax in his arms. I relax a little too much it seems, because I suddenly grow dizzy, feeling sick even. Did I really hit my head that hard? _

_Before I can even begin to think, I am ripped out of my father's arms. He screams. I am thrown to the ground, knocked unconscious. I feel so sick…I don't know why._

"_This child is cursed!" Rao's cries echo in my ears. _

"_You should've put this curse out of her misery before her suffering began, Sesshomaru," a monstrous voice scolds my father. It then turns its attention to me and says, "you're weak. Good for nothing. You'll die suffering, you filthy curse!"_

_Suddenly the ground disappears and I am floating freely. I sense several people surrounding me, but I don't know who they are._

"_You were born helpless," I hear my father's voice say suddenly, "demons do not succumb to pathetic human ailments such as blindness."_

"_You're more than a curse," I hear my mother's voice say, "you're my curse. It's because of you that I suffer!" _

"_Demons should not be born blind," Inuyasha says, "what kind of weakling are you?" _

_I don't know when or who it started with, but slowly the voices all meld into one, alienating me, calling me a curse, trying to kill me, but then, suddenly, I see a light. The form looks eerily similar to my father's, and he holds a sword in his hand. _

"_Father?" I ask. He walks over to me and raises his sword. _

"_You should have never been born, you filthy curse," he says, and strikes me with his blade as I scream. _

"Etsuko!" Issun smacked me with his tiny hand as I sit up screaming.

"Wh-what?" I panted, regaining my bearings.

_Another nightmare?_ Amaterasu asked, letting out a small whine.

I wiped tears out of my eyes. Why am I crying? And why can't I stop? Unable to speak, I nodded my head. Issun bounced gently on my head, which had a strangely calming effect.

"Are you okay, Pup?" he asked quietly.

"I'm—I'm fine. Don't worry about me," I said, "just bad dreams is all."

Ammy and Issun both turned their heads towards each other, as if they wanted to speak quietly, but because I was there they said nothing.

As per what was becoming the usual nightmare routine, Amaterasu curled up behind me, beckoning me to lie back down. _Why don't you go back to sleep, Etsuko. You need your rest,_ she offers kindly. I shake my head.

"No," I protest, "no more nightmares."

"You won't have any more," Issun barked back.

I snapped right back at him, "oh? And how would you know?"

"Because I'll protect you, that's how!" Issun stated. I was silent. Protect me? What could that pipsqueak do?

Protect me…

That…that sounded kind of nice. Someone protecting me for once.

"How are you supposed to protect me…?" I mumbled, still doubting.

"Etsuko, just trust me," Issun pleaded, "these nightmares keep getting worse, and you can't keep this all to yourself. So…so just trust me, I'm here for you."

For a moment I was shocked. Issun sounded so…sincere about this. Defeated, I lied down on Ammy, her fur was so warm. Issun sat next to my head, just by my ear. His hand stroked my hair gently and before I knew it, for the first time in a while, I fell asleep with nothing more than pleasant dreams.

The only problem with that…for some reason Issun was in every single one of them, annoying as ever.

* * *

**Inuyasha**

Okay, _now_ he was worried. Where the hell did Etsuko go? She'd been gone since yesterday afternoon and wasn't even back yet! And it was morning!

"Dammit, kid, where are ya?" Inuyasha mumbled to himself. They walked along the shoreline of Ryoshima, just a couple miles outside of Sei-an. They stayed overnight at Jinenji's, but had to get going. They spent the morning tracking down Etsuko's scent, but after the wind had blown her trail into pointless circles, and since her scent was too close to Sesshomaru's they gave up, hoping she was okay.

"Do you think she'll be alright?" Kagome wondered out loud, "what could have happened to her?"

"Aw, probably got too caught up in that present she was trying to conjur up," Inuyasha barked, hiding his own concern, "she'll find us."

Just as he said that, a familiar smell caught his nose. Was that Etsuko? Or was it Sesshomaru? This wouldn't be the first time Inuyasha had mixed the two scents together, so Inuyasha motioned for the others to follow, keeping his hand on Tetsusaiga, just in case.

As they drew closer, two other scents caught his nose. One was very small, much larger than Myoga, but still the size of a bug. The other was like nothing Inuyasha had ever smelled before. It was a wolf, no doubt but there was something…heavenly about it. If heavenly was even a scent. Well, Sesshomaru would definitely never associate with some sort of saint, so it must've been Etsuko!

Two forms appeared, one a wolf, another a tall young woman.

"Hey, kid!" he shouted, "is that you?"

Etsuko stopped for a moment, before she began running towards Inuyasha and his friends, waving to them, "Hey!"

Oh thank goodness!

As she ran up to them, smiling, Inuyasha's relief suddenly turned to rage. Without thinking, Inuyasha swung his fist and pounded the top of Etsuko's head.

"You idiot! Where the hell have you been this whole time?" Inuyasha roared, "And what took you so long?"

"Arrrrrgh!" Etsuko growled, clutching her head as she looked back up. "What was that for?" she screamed.

"I asked you a question!" Inuyasha barked, "what took you so long?"

Etsuko's strong gaze dropped, her glazed over eyes looking away from nothing (she was probably trying to avoid eye contact with Inuyasha) as she mumbled, "I uh, got a little sidetracked."

"Damn straight you did!" Inuyasah roared, "and who the hell is this?"

"Who are we? Well who are you?" a small but defiant voice shouted back. Inuyasha jumped. He could smell a third person in Etsuko's group, but all he could see was the pup and the holy wolf. He looked down to find a green glowing….bug hopping on top of the wolf's head.

"Um, Inuyasha, meet Issun and Amaterasu," Etsuko said, gesturing to the wolf and the bug, "Ammy and Issun, meet Inuyasha, Kagome, Miroko, Sango, Shippo, and Kilala."

"Are these your friends you were looking for?" Kagome asked. Etsuko nodded.

"So that's why you didn't come back," Inuyasha thought out loud, "well you could have at least been courteous enough to let us know you were leaving!"

"What?" Etsuko asked, "no, I was coming to look for you! I got sidetracked, okay! There were some issues I had to deal with and I got attacked by some demons and I was lucky enough to run into them! I wasn't going to abandon you guys at all!"

"Oh my gosh, are you okay?" Kagome asked. Etsuko smiled and nodded.

"Yeah, I'm okay!" she said kindly. Inuyasha sighed.

"Well, I guess it was good you were gone," he shrugged, placing his hands behind his head, "just after you had left we had a run in with Sesshomaru, the bastard…"

At that Etsuko's smile dropped, her pleasant atmosphere turning around completely. "What?" Etsuko asked, her tone dark and surprisingly as terrifying as Sesshomaru could sound.

"Uh, yeah," Inuyasha said, confused, "He uh, almost killed me. Why?"

Etsuko stood there in silence, her jaw dropped. The wolf stared at Inuyasha with wide, and slightly panicked eyes. Did he say something?

"Actually Etsuko," Sango stepped in, "I was wondering, when Kagome mentioned your name, Sesshomaru got very distracted, he seemed to know you. Do you have some kind of connection to Inuyasha's brother?"

At that Etsuko snapped.

"ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?" she screamed at the top of her lungs. She stamped her foot on the ground so hard the earth shook a little, her foot getting stuck in the rubble that was left over from the pulled up rock.

"Woooah, Pup, calm down!" Issun ordered. Etsuko bared her teeth, letting out a frustrated mix of a scream and a growl. The whites of her eyes turned red and the markings on her face thickened.

"I AM CALM!" she roared, "but are you kidding me? I spent the past three days with these lunatics trying to find Dad and the one time I leave HE FUCKING SHOWS UP! WHAT THE HELL?"

"Woah, woah, WOAH!" Inuyasha stepped in. WHAT? Where, who, what was she talking about?!

Etsuko froze and turned back to him, her face paling.

Inuyasha glared at the blind girl, his confusion and rage almost maxing out. He stomped over to Etsuko, staring down at her as he asked, "Just what are you talking about?"

"Uh," Etsuko stammered, backing away from Inuyasha slightly, "nothing…?"

"What do you mean nothing?" Inuyasha responded quietly.

Etsuko gulped hard, biting her lip.

Kagome placed a hand on Inuyasha's shoulder, pushing him back. Ignoring Inuyasha's incoherent protest, the priestess took Etsuko's hand, smiling kindly at her.

"Just ignore him," Kagome said, "but seriously, do you have some kind of connection with Inuyasha's brother? It's okay if you do, we just want to know."

Etsuko pulled her hands away from Kagome and placed them on her head, pacing in a small circle nervously before she turned to them throwing her hands towards them as she doubled over, gasping as she shouted, "He's my _father_!"

…

….

…..

What?

"What?" he asked.

Etsuko's jaw dropped and she covered her mouth.

"He's…your _father_?" Miroko asked while Kagome dropped her bow and Sango dropped her Hiraikotsu, both in shock.

"Well…yeah…" Etsuko said nervously, twiddling her thumbs.

Inuyasha let out a confused grunt.

"We uh…were separated when I was a little girl," Etsuko began to explain, "our home was attacked and I thought he and my mom were killed. But…I guess he's alive. I don't know about my mom, but apparently my dad's alive at least. I was hoping we would run into him and I could see him again but…I guess seeing as you and him don't really get along it's better that I was gone when you guys ran into each other."

"WELL WHO THE HELL DID HE HAVE SEX WITH TO MAKE YOU?" Inuyasha screamed. Etsuko jumped, confused.

Kagome smacked Inuyasha, "I don't think this is now's the time to be worrying about that!"

"Well he's a cold heartless, bastard! Who in their right mind would sleep with _him_?" Inuyasha wondered out loud.

Kagome sighed, frustrated, "never mind that…but your father?"

"Yeah…he's my dad," Etsuko breathed, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you guys. But the way Inuyasha seemed to react towards my dad…and considering that I didn't even know I had an uncle until three days ago, I was afraid you guys would think I was some kind of criminal."

"No not at all," Kagome said kindly right as Inuyasha, overcome by his temper, grabbed hold of the collar of Etsuko's kimono pulling her close to his face and shouting, "Hell yes you are!"

Etsuko stared at Inuyasha in shock, her blind eyes appearing as if they had been betrayed.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome scolded. The half-breed fell out of his trance and looked down at Etsuko then back at Kagome. Oh crap… "SIT!" she shouted and Inuyasha plummeted head first in the ground. Etsuko hopped back, landing lightly on her feet.

* * *

**Issun**

Welp. That was definitely a strange encounter. After Etsuko had sorted everything out that she needed to (Issun was still confused as to _what_ exactly she needed to sort out. Something about her uncle's pent-up aggression towards his brother, Etsuko's father. Eh, Issun still didn't know), the trio had joined Inuyasha's group. They were all heading to the same place and, if they wanted to help rid Sei-an of this plague, it was their funeral, not his.

Issun rode on top of Etsuko's head, the demon had grown strangely silent. Well, strange for Pup at least.

"Hey, Pup, you okay?" he asked, sliding down a lock of hair and landing on her shoulder.

"Yeah, it's just been a long day," Etsuko sighed.

"Yeah, I get it," Issun nodded. He didn't expect her to say any more than that.

"Do you think I'll ever see my dad again?" Etsuko whispered, catching Issun off guard. Startled, Issun eyed Pup's expression. Her eyes looked downward, her eyebrows furrowed together, distraught. Issun then thought back to the day before, after the bizarre encounter with her father, Sesshomaru.

"_Don't tell her I was here. Any memory of me today was nothing more than a dream,"_ he had said. Issun still didn't like the sound of that. But then Sesshomaru had continued, _"…until her curse is lifted, she can't be anywhere near me…"_

Curse…what curse? Did it have to do with Etsuko's blindness?

"I'm sure you will," Issun cheered, trying to comfort the pup.

"When?" she asked, sounding helpless, "with all of this…and I keep missing him by a hair…what, is it like he's trying to avoid me?"

Well…yeah…kind of…

"I'll tell you what, Pup," Issun began, "after all this is over…the city and everything, we'll go find your dad together. You and me."

_Issun!_ Ammy scolded. Issun jumped, turning his attention to the wolf. Her voice sounded quieter and more shallow than usual, indicating that Ammy was speaking to Issun only, and Etsuko probably couldn't hear her.

_What? _Issun thought back, _she's been looking high and low for her dad, hasn't she?_

_Do you _not _remember what happened yesterday? If whatever curse Sesshomaru was talking about is true, Etsuko can't be anywhere near him! _Ammy reminded.

_Yeah I remember,_ Issun thought, groaning audibly.

"Do you really mean that?" Etsuko asked, hope rising in her voice.

Issun looked up at Etsuko and then back to Ammy. Ammy shook her head, giving him a warning look. Despite that, Issun nodded, "Yeah. Yeah I sure do, Pup. We'll find your dad. I promise."

At that Etsuko beamed, a smile grew on her face and Etsuko looked straight forward, her face turning red.

_Issun! Why on earth would you get her hopes up like that? _Ammy asked angrily.

_Because curses are meant to be broken! _Issun declared, _we don't know how long it's going to take to get rid of all this nasty stuff in Sei-an. We thought we were done when we defeated Orochi, and look where we are now! For all we know, by the time we finish up, Pup's curse could be broken by then, so why not have some faith?_

At that, Ammy said nothing and sighed. She then turned back and said, _just don't get too carried away with your lovestruck fantasies, Issun. Don't break her heart more than it already is because you made a promise you couldn't keep._

_Yeah, yeah, I know_, Issun sighed. Wait a minute…

…lovestruck? What did that mean?

Issun rode in silence for a long time, pondering what the hell Furball was talking about. Ahead of them, Inuyasha bantered wildly about some scrawny wolf boy he was fed up with, so really it wasn't all that quiet, but finally Etsuko spoke up.

"Hey Issun?" she began.

"Yeah?"

"Thanks…for everything," she said. Issun laughed nervously, thinking about Ammy's warning.

"Well, don't thank me yet," he said, gritting his teeth.

"No, I mean about last night," she corrected, "what you said, about protecting me…that really helped…a lot…"

At that Issun's heart jumped up into his throat, "oh yeah? Well, n-not a problem!"

Issun scratched the back of his head, laughing nervously. His face grew hot and sweat began to pull in the back of his neck. So…how was he supposed to respond to that?

Etsuko gulped loudly next to him and she bit her lip but said nothing.

…A-W-K-W-A-R-D…

Issun averted his gaze towards Furball, who was giving him a strangely…playful look.

"What are you looking at, Furball?" Issun barked.

_Oh nothing,_ Ammy responded, grinning…if wolves could grin anyway. The playful demeanor vanished suddenly as Ammy halted, staring down at the pouch she kept at her hip.

Sango turned and eyed the trio curiously, "Is something wrong, Lady Amaterasu?"

As if on cue, the Lucky Mallet poked its way out of the pouch, pouncing.

"The Lucky Mallet?" Etsuko jumped, turning to face Ammy and the Mallet, "what is that thing _doing_?"

At that, the others turned, eyeing the mallet suspiciously.

"Is that Uchehide's Mallet?" Miroko asked in awe.

"If that's another name for it, sure," Etsuko grumbled, "it's supposedly a hammer that can shrink people down to Issun's size and back."

"Where on earth did you get that," Miroko asked, a curious smile etching across the monk's face.

"A pirate ship," Issun responded flatly.

At that, Miroko's smile dropped, his intellect obviously insulted, "but that's a holy artifact known only to myths!"

"Look, I don't know why it was there," Issun defended, "but this hot priestess and her two friends were looking for some magical holy weapon that was stowed away on the ship and we went out to sea to help her find it. Apparently the Lucky Mallet wasn't it so she let us keep it."

"Rao didn't have any friends…" Etsuko pointed out quietly, narrowing her eyes.

Issun let out a nervous laugh…his mind too entranced by Rao's melons to come up with a witty comeback.

_Issun…_ Ammy groaned.

Before anyone could say anything else, the hammer lunged forward, bouncing away, rather quickly, towards Sei-an.

"Hey!" Issun shouted.

"The hammer!" Etsuko broke out into a sprint, chasing it.

"Is that thing possessed or something?" Inuyasha barked following close behind.

The group dashed across Ryoshima, the hammer surprisingly outrunning a wolf, two demons, and a half-demon with only two humans, a poncle, and a child riding on their backs, and they chased the Mallet into Sei-an, knocking over some poor sick people in the street. They ran across the bridge and barged into Rao's office, everyone collapsing.

"Where did it go?!" Kagome looked around, confused.

"It ran out that way!" Etsuko pointed to the back door to the office. Issun sat up, putting his hat back on his head, and looked up to find Rao sitting at her desk, quite startled.

"Oh my gods! Are you alright?" She asked, walking over to help them all up. She stopped when she caught sight of Ammy, Etsuko, and Issun, a warm smile spreading across her face. "Oh, thank goodness, I'm so happy to see you three! I thought the Water Dragon had got you for sure!"

At that, Etsuko and Ammy sat up angrily, both growling, and Issun hopped back onto Etusko's head, bouncing furiously trying to get in the Priestess's face…mostly her boobs…but he was angry!

"Yeah, no thanks to you, Toots! Leaving us as Dragon Bate!" Issun yelled. At that Rao looked away sadly.

"I'm so sorry, Issun…I was just so terrified. And how I've mourned for your deaths the past few days, I didn't know what to do I was overcome by guilt!" she cried, burying her face in her hands. Issun shifted around uncomfortably. Was she really that upset?

"Well…gee, Toots…I didn't know you were that worried about us," he began.

"Of course I was!" Rao cried.

"No you weren't," Etsuko growled back, "you wanted us dead."

Rao's jaw dropped, her chocolate brown eyes widening in horror, "Why-why would you say such things?"

"Because it's true, you monster," she snapped.

"Pup!" Issun scolded. Now was definitely not the time to be picking fights! "Leave her alone! Can't you see she's upset?"

"No," Etsuko said angrily, "Can't you see anything but her boobs?" Before Issun could say anything, Etsuko pushed Rao gently aside, "Look, I'm sorry for snapping at you, Rao, but if you'll excuse us, we have a hammer on the loose that we'd like to get back. Bye!"

And with that, the wild goose chase continued. They ran out the door of Rao's office and into the Aristocratic Quarters of Sei-an, passing the gates of the emperor's palace.

"Excuse me!" Etsuko called out to one of the guards standing at the entrance. The two guards looked up, startled.

"A demon!" on shouted as he held up his spear at her. Oh great, not this crap again…

"Actually, demons," Etsuko corrected, pointing at Inuyasha, Shippo, and Kilala, but then she shook her head, "we don't mean any harm, but I was wondering, did you see a magical flying hammer come this way recently?"

The two guards stood there dumbfounded and said nothing.

"You know, a magic hammer, yay-tall, bounces, and moves on its own at will? We kind of lost it," she explained.

One of the guards shook his head, his jaw still dropped.

Inuyasha groaned behind them and stepped forward, "It's orange, has some kind of swirly design on it."

At that one of the guards responded making a big 'O' with his mouth and pointed, "yeah, yeah, It went around the corner over there, by the wall."

"Thank you!" Etsuko smiled, and the group ran in the direction they had pointed. As they rounded the corner, Issun caught the orange hammer floating, as if it was waiting for them.

"There it is!" Inuyasha called out, placing his hands on his hips. Etsuko scrunched up her nose and narrowed her unseeing eyes.

"Where?" she asked.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes and pointed at the hammer, "right in front of you, genius!"

_It's floating, Etsuko, that's why you can't see it,_ Ammy explained.

Inuyasha groaned, "I don't know why…"

Etsuko turned to Inuyasha, gave him a stupid look, and waved her hand in front of her face, "Blind! Hello!"

Inuyasha said nothing but crossed his arms, looking away rather embarrassed.

"So…why did it stop here?" Issun wondered.

"Maybe it wants to shrink us?" Etsuko offered.

At that everyone turned to her and asked, "what?"

Sighing, Etsuko pointed towards the ground, "there's a small peep hole towards the bottom of the wall, and the smell of miasma's been getting stronger the closer we've gotten to the palace. Maybe the mallet wants us to go to the other side and find whatever's causing this plague?"

At that, everyone was silent. This woman. Was a freaking genius.

"My, how very perceptive of you, Etsuko!" a strange voice from behind stated. Etsuko jumped nearly out of her skin and let out a yelp. The others turned to face a strangely dressed man flying in the air, staring down at them. His wicked red eyes grinned with the most heartless expression Issun had ever seen.

"Naraku!" Inuyasha roared, pulling out his sword, "Where have you been hiding this whole time?"

"Oh, don't mind me, Inuyasha, I'm just here to see what little Etsuko's been up to, that's all. It's been a long time, hasn't it, my little curse?" At that, Inuyasha let out an evil laugh. Etsuko's skin grew cold and all she was able to let out was a tiny whimper.

* * *

**Etsuko**

That voice…that voice!

"…it's been a long time, hasn't it, my little curse?" the man asked. My heart stopped within my chest. I couldn't sense him, but by Inuyasha's and the others' responses, I knew he was there. The man…the man was coming for me!

"Naraku! Just what ties do you have with Etsuko?" Inuyasha growled. The man chuckled.

"I could ask you the same thing, Inuyasha," he stated coolly, "why is it that you would continue to travel with this filthy curse despite knowing that she's Sesshomaru's daughter?"

"That's none of your business," Inuyasha responded, lowering his body, ready to pounce.

The man said nothing, but Kagome began running in front of me, placing an arrow on her bow, "Etsuko, look out!"

I regained my bearings long enough to realize something was coming at me, and also to notice another familiar scent stepping in front of me. He swung his sword, cutting something, and moments later, two large, pointed tentacles dropped to the ground.

"Naraku," my father growled, "so you're the cause of this plague?"

"Oh, please, Sesshomaru, I wouldn't waste my time in a place like this. I like to operate on a more…covert scale. I prefer not to make a scene," the man sneered.

"Dad?" I said quietly, stunned. Issun stiffened on my shoulder. "This isn't a dream, is it, Issun?"

"Nope…that's definitely real…" Issun grunted.

_Oh dear,_ Amaterasu managed.

"Please," Dad scoffed back at the man, "we both know that that's not even close to true…but I could care less why you're hear, all I care is to see your head on a platter!" Dad swung his sword, releasing a powerful attack at the man.

Inuyasha leapt at my father, shoving him out of the way, "I was here first, you bastard!"

"Step out of my way before I kill you!" Dad grunted back, turning his attacks towards Inuyasha.

"Both of you, knock it off!" Kagome cried, flustered.

"So…are we going into that peep hole anytime soon?" Issun pulled on my hair, trying to urge me towards the mallet.

"Dad!" I called out louder. Dad stopped and turned to me. The man laughed.

"Oh, a joyous reunion I see!" he scoffed, "but it won't be joyous for much longer will it…?"

"Etsuko, get out of here!" Inuyasha warned, "I'll take care of Naraku, you guys just go stop whatever's killing this city!"

"No, wait!" I took a step forward, "Dad, wha-what are you doing here?"

My father said nothing but turned his attention away from me.

Ammy nipped at my leg, _Etsuko, we need to go. You heard what Inuyasha said._

"Dad…" I began, "don't you recognize me?"

Daddy turned back to me, and with the coldest tone in his voice said, "I don't know you."

My eyes widened, my heart pounding in my chest.

"I-It's me…Etsuko…your daughter?" I choked.

"I said, I don't know you," my father responded.

"Disappointed, Etsuko?" the man sneered. I was too shocked to respond, "Allow me to put you out of your misery!"

"Etsuko! Get out of here!" Inuyasha ordered. Ammy tugged on my kimono hard enough to pull me out of my trance and I bolted towards the hammer. The Lucky Mallet tapped me and Ammy both on the head, and my feet lifting off the ground. Letting out a yelp, a magic force pulled me forward, and Amaterasu and I both landed face first in the dirt, rolling a few feet.

I sat up on my hands and knees, the fighting suddenly died down, Inuyasha, his friends, the man, and my dad all but disappeared. Panting, I couldn't help but notice some very tall and very strange looking trees surrounding us. But there was one thing I couldn't wrap my head around…

…my father…

"He-he said he didn't know me," I panted, still in shock.

_He was busy fighting that Naraku guy,_ Amaterasu pointed out, _you two haven't seen each other in a while, and you've grown. He probably didn't recognize you at first and was distracted. That's all._

"Yeah, Pup, don't worry about it!" Issun's voice pointed out. I didn't notice him at first, and I jumped at the sound of it. I stood, observing a long, lean, and muscular form with his arms crossed proudly, watching me. He was a good few inches taller than me and wore the strangest—and biggest—looking hat I had ever seen—it almost looked like he was wearing a beetle on his head—and his long hair was pulled back into a low ponytail.

"Issun?" I asked, surprised.

The man laughed almost maniacally. Yep, that was definitely Issun alright. He said, "what, you don't recognize me close up or something?"


	12. Chapter 11

Hello again! Boy, I've been on a role here! Like last, I have some plot advancements, but this is more of an emotionally intense chapter...so those of you who are hardcore for cutsie moments and get really into character developement, have tissues ready! Also fair warning, Issun is kind of an ass for part of this...but he makes up for it in the end! Kind of! He'll at least make up for it later on by being the awesome poncle that he is! But for those of you who like action, I apologize, but next chapter will definitely be more fast paced and I can promise you an epic battle between our dynamite trio and the evil demon Blight! Dun dun DUN!

Anyway! ENJOI

* * *

**S****esshomaru**

It just came out. He didn't know why or how, but those three chilling words just slipped out of his throat. Just like that.

"I said, I don't know you," Sesshomaru repeated, just as shocked as Etsuko looked. He wasn't sure what was worse, how pale her face had become within the mere moments he had been standing there or the horror in her eyes at the hurtful words he had just spoken.

Naraku let out an ominous laugh and sneered, "Disappointed, Etsuko?"

Etsuko jumped and Sesshomaru's heart sank. That bastard! That's why Naraku appeared suddenly: to lure Sesshomaru in close to Etsuko and to see him panic in a last ditch effort to save his daughter…and at the expense of Etsuko's heart nonetheless. The dog demon gritted his teeth and glanced over at the god and the pint-sized warrior trying to get Etsuko away from him before anything worse could happen. Sesshomaru turned back towards Naraku who gave the dog demon a mocking grin as their eyes met.

Naraku turned his attention back towards Etsuko and sent one of his tentacles towards the girl shouting, "allow me to put you out of your misery!"

Shit!

Etsuko remained motionless, her unseeing eyes still fixated on Sesshomaru's general location. Without thinking, the dog demon bolted towards his daughter and pulled out his Tokijin in an attempt to block Naraku's attack.

Behind him, he heard Inuyasha call out, "Etsuko! Get out of here!" as the half demon leapt in front of Sesshomaru, attacking him. Idiot, the half breed thought Sesshomaru was attacking Etsuko instead of protecting her…granted that was an easy misconception to make.

Amaterasu let out a howl and pulled on Etsuko's leg. The girl blinked a few times and regained her bearings, then turned around, sprinting towards a golden hammer. As if it had a life of its own, the hammer hovered over the ground, tapping both Etsuko and Amaterasu on the head, causing the two to disappear. A few moments later, the hammer disappeared as well.

The two brothers halted for a moment, and Inuyasha sighed in relief. Quickly, the half-breed regained his composure and swung his Tetsusaiga around, pointing it a Sesshomaru, "You asshole! What was that for?"

"I should ask you the same thing," Sesshomaru grunted, "I don't need a half-breed like you running around pretending to play hero and placing my daughter in danger."

At that Inuyasha's eyes widened in rage and he stepped forward, getting way in Sesshomaru's personal space, "_your_ daughter? Last time I checked you didn't have a daughter! And if I'm not mistaken, you don't even _know_ that girl!"

Sesshomaru growled; he didn't need Inuyasha to be reminding him of his mistakes. Controlling his rage, Sesshomaru averted his gaze towards Naraku, who strangely hadn't made a move since he tried to attack Etsuko. Instead he remained still, safe within his barrier, that hideous smirk growing larger and larger by the second, as if he were taunting Sesshomaru.

"Well? What's your next move? Or did you just finish the job your grubby little hands came to do?" Sesshomaru growled, so angry he trembled.

"Now, Sesshomaru, when you put it like that you make me seem like _I'm_ the bad guy. I didn't just break my daughter's heart, now did I?" Naraku mocked.

"_You bastard_!" Sesshomaru growled his eyes turning blood red as he released a massive amount of demonic energy, "That was your plan all along wasn't it?"

Naraku chuckled, "more or less, and I must say you did a much better job than I expected. You really are a heartless demon as they say! I'm done here for now…but don't worry, I have much bigger plans for that curse of yours, just wait and see."

And with that, Naraku—and his scent—vanished in a cloud of miasma.

Damn that Naraku…

Growling, Sesshomaru sheathed Tokijin and began to walk away. He could smell Etsuko on the other side of that wall, but it was so faint…Sesshomaru needed to get to Etsuko, find a way to better explain things before he broke their relationship even more…

…but was that even worth it? Would it even fix anything? It wouldn't make up for lost time, lost memories. She had grown up, and she had grown up without him. It most certainly wouldn't lift her curse either.

Walking away, still torn on which direction to go, Sesshomaru was stopped by Inuyasha: "Hey, wait! Sesshomaru!"

Exhausted, Sesshomaru turned and in the most sarcastic voice he asked, "may I help you, Inuyasha?"

"Etsuko told us that she was your daughter," Inuyasha began. Yeah, no shit, genius. The half breed took a deep breath and continued, "she also said you guys were separated a while ago, she thought you had died…and when she found out you were alive well, well she's been looking for you. She's been dying to see you!"

Well that was a funny way with words, Inuyasha, way to kick your brother while he's down, moron. Groaning Sesshomaru asked, "and your point is…?"

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes at Sesshomaru and knelt down as he demanded an answer from Sesshomaru: "then why the hell are you just blowing her off like she's some stranger?!"

Sesshomaru sighed and began to walk away, not wanting to answer his question.

"Don't you dare walk away, Sesshomaru! Answer me!" Inuyasha ordered.

Tired, Sesshomaru answered, "because now she is."

* * *

**Etsuko**

I still couldn't believe this….Issun was taller than me! I wandered around near helpless, trying to figure out where in the world we were in this shrunken down world. I bumped into something thick and grainy that looked like a poorly misshapen tree.

"Ow!" I grunted.

"Yeah, watch out for the blades of grass, Pup!" Issun scoffed sarcastically. Grass? That huge thing? Well damn!

I groaned and stood up, "oh shut up."

Issun shrugged and motioned for us to continue, "you gotta be sharper than that if you're gonna survive in _my_ world!"

"Mmhmm," I rolled my eyes. After that the three of us wandered around in silence. Issun seemed to have a general idea of where to go, and Ammy followed urgently behind him. I kept my distance a few feet, trying to sort everything out in my head. The nightmares, that man, my dad, and…this curse. Why did Dad push me away? And how did that man know my father and Inuyasha?

What if the dream I had the night before came true? What if my dad really did want me dead?

I gritted my teeth and involuntarily let out a silent whimper. Thankfully, the other two hadn't heard it.

After a few hours, I had drifted even farther away from Ammy and Issun. The air changed and I could feel the moon rising to the sky. Issun had been babbling on about something called a blocking spider…what was that again? Apparently we had passed a dozen of them who all, for some reason, graciously allowed us to pass through their domains. I had been so distracted by my own thoughts that I didn't even know they had been there!

"…Pup?" Issun asked. I came to a sharp halt as I bumped lightly into his shoulder.

"Sorry, what?" I asked. Issun tilted his head in concern.

"I said, why don't we stop for the night, eh, Pup?" Issun sighed, "and then you didn't respond and just kept walking towards me like you were in some trance."

"Oh," I rubbed the back of my head, "sorry."

"Is everything alright?" Issun asked.

Without thinking, I nodded my head and said, "yeah, I'm fine."

"You sure?" Issun asked, suspicious.

Again, I nodded my head and smiled, "I'm perfectly okay, Issun."

But before I had time to process what was happening, Issun raised his hand and slapped me so hard across the face that I fell to the ground.

_Issun!_ Ammy growled, hunching over, _What are you doing?_

I sat there, frozen, as I placed a hand on my now swelling cheek. Before I could even react, Issun grabbed hold of me by the collar of my kimono and shook me violently, screaming, "Do you honestly think you can go around with that fake smile plastered on your face? Do you honestly think I'm going to believe you when you blindly say that your fine? No! Not after all those nightmares! Do you have any idea how many times I've had to wake you up? How many times I've had to watch you cry hysterically? No! You just wander along pretending everything is gum drops and lollipops when deep down your suffering and you don't let anyone in to help you! Well I'm sick of it! I'm sick of standing idly by while you shut me out of your life! Are you trying to torment me? Is this how demons prey on humans? Huh?!"

I stared at him in shock, my eyes wide. Issun still held me by the collar, panting furiously. Tormenting? Shutting him out of my life? What was he talking about?

"But…" I began, distraught tears hanging from the corners of my eyes, "you're the first person I ever let in…"

At that, Issun jumped, his anger melting away and his grip loosening.

"W-what?" he stammered. At that, I blinked my tears away, now my anger was boiling.

In one short burst of rage, I grasped both of Issun's hands in mine and threw them down, then pushed him away as I screamed at the top of my lungs, "SO EXCUSE ME FOR NOT WANTING YOU TO WORRY!"

I stomped off, letting out a deep growl. Issun remained motionless like a statue, but Ammy trotted a few steps towards me and let out a whimper. _Etsuko, wait! Where are you going? _She called out.

"I don't know!" I snapped back. I wandered away, hopping past some rocks. Above me, there was a jail cell with someone inside. It was a young girl about my age, and she seemed to be crying. Paying little attention I pressed forward and bounded ahead.

_Wait!_ Ammy called back, following me. She paused long enough to turn back to Issun and ask, _you coming or not?_

"Huh? Yeah," I head Issun respond, distracted. That asshole…

Issun hopped on Ammy's back and they followed me.

"Pup, come on! I'm-I'm sorry I snapped at you, okay?" Issun pleaded, "You don't even know where you're going!"

"What makes you think that?" I barked back, "just because I'm your size now doesn't mean I can't see!"

"Pup, you're _blind_!" Issun responded.

"Oh! So I'm helpless now!" I scoffed, "Well that's just great!"

"That's not what I meant!" Issun screamed back, "you're in unfamiliar territory and if you aren't careful you're gonna get stepped on!"

"Yeah right!" I growled back, stomping my way into a courtyard. But I was about to eat my words, because as I moved further into the courtyard I ran into a broom, which whisked me backwards so fast I was almost trapped in it.

"PUP!" Issun screamed as he and Ammy bounded towards me.

"Ew! Bugs!" a now very large guard screeched as he smacked his broom at me. I was thrown back a few more inches (which for my size was probably more like yards).

"It's okay, I'll get it!" another guard called out. He began to stomp his feet on the ground so hard that it felt like there was an earthquake. I sat up quickly and leapt out of the guard's range. But he was fast…and huge. Without looking back I ran and leapt and flew around in circles, unable to gain any ground.

"PUP!" Issun called out urgently, "Run in a straight line! A STRAIGHT LINE!"

Trying to obey his orders, the guard stopped me, his foot slamming down in the middle of my path. I veered to the side trying to avoid him but his stomped his other foot down so close to me that he tore the bottom of my skirt and sent me flying forward. I landed face first on the hard stone. The guard lifted his foot right over me, readying himself to squash me. I got back to my feet just in time to find the large foot coming down on me. Out of time, I closed my eyes and braced for pain. Just as the foot was about to strike me though, Issun ran into me, scooping me in his arms and throwing me back just out of the foot's reach. Still holding me in his arms, Issun twisted his body so he landed on his shoulder and rolled onto his feet, giving him enough momentum to take off in a full out—and incredibly fast—sprint. I wrapped my arms around his neck as he carried me bridal style.

"Ammy! To the grass!" Issun ordered, the guards still chasing us. Ammy complied and retreated into the grass forest with the two of us close behind. We didn't stop there, though, and kept running until we made it back to the rock bridge, just under the jail cell, and far away from the guards. As we passed through the grass, Issun tripped and fell forward, sliding through the dirt. Screaming, I landed hard on my back as Issun collapsed face-first…right into my chest…and his hat flew off his head and into my face. Ammy came to an abrupt halt and plopped down on her stomach, all three of us panted.

Okay, so maybe I was a little helpless when it came to this whole size thing…

* * *

**Issun**

Still trying to catch his breath, the poncle just laid there on top of Etsuko for a few brief moments. He turned his head so his chin rested on her chest and he eyeballed her for a few moments. His hat sat over her face and she didn't move. Was she okay?

"Pup?" he asked hesitantly.

"Guu. Fff. Mmm." She mumbled in response, but Issun couldn't understand.

"What?" he asked.

Etsuko reached up, grabbing hold of Issun's hat, and threw it off her face before she ordered, in a low voice, "I said: get _off_"

Startled, Issun pushed himself up so he was on all fours, kneeling over her. She crossed her arms and glared at him…well, tried to. Oh, she was still going to be stubborn was she?

Narrowing his eyes, Issun pointed out, "See? Unfamiliar territory."

Etsuko said nothing, but she rolled her eyes as Issun stood up. He offered a hand, but she swiped it away, standing on her own. Sighing, Issun grabbed his hat.

"Let's just go back to where we were and make camp where it's safe," Issun offered, "we'll get past those guards in the morning."

_I'd say that's a grand idea!_ Ammy barked way too enthusiastically, obviously trying to lift the tension in the air, _there was a cavern on the other side of this bridge and it looks like it's going to rain so some shelter would be good, wouldn't it?_

Silently, Etsuko turned and hopped on the first rock of the bridge, just under the mysterious girl in the jail cell.

"Hey, wait!" Issun called out, following close behind, but Etsuko kept a swift pace.

At his noise, the crying girl stopped and turned to face them, covering her face with the sleeves of her kimono.

"Are you three mallet bearers?" a soft voice asked. At that, the trio froze midstride and turned to face the girl. Etsuko's jaw dropped.

"No way…" she mumbled.

"Uh…mallet bearers?" Issun asked the girl, ignoring Etsuko's silent outburst. He crossed his arms and continued, "what the heck are you talking about?"

"Who are you?" the girl asked.

"Oh uh…" Issun stammered nervously. Who was this chick? "Just a trio of passerbies. You're that girl we heard cryin' earlier? Sounded kinda fake to me!"

_Issun!_ Ammy scolded behind him, _watch your tongue! You've caused enough problems with that today!_

At that Etsuko coughed a laugh. Issun rolled his eyes and continued, "Um…just what are you doing in jail? You aren't some no good monster are ya?"

"What?" the girl asked innocently. She sniffled and wiped her eyes, "no! At least I don't think I am. I came to Sei-an to sell my grandfather's bamboo. But the emperor had me arrested."

Issun's eyes widened, "your grandfather? Would he happen to be Mr. Bamboo who lives in Kusa village?"

The girl jumped. "You know my grandfather? He raised me in Kusa village ever since I was a little girl. My name is Kaguya," she explained, "but I'm afraid that's all I can tell you. I don't know why I've been imprisoned here. I don't even know who I am or where I originally came from." At that she lowered her hands, revealing sky blue eyes with delicate tears hanging from them. Beautiful golden locks danced around her porcelain face.

Kaguya…she was…she was…

"Another babe…" Issun drooled, his body sagging and his knees threatening to buckle at her beauty. Ammy cocked her head in awe.

Etsuko cleared her throat, her eyebrows knitted in concern. Urgently, she asked, "Kaga, just how long have you been stuck here?"

Kaguya jumped and looked down at Etsuko, "Koko? Is that you?"

Blushing, Etsuko rubbed the back of her head and said, "yep. In the flesh. Though I'm a little tiny right now…"

At that Kaguya's face lit up, hope dancing across her features, "oh my gosh! Koko! It really is you! You're so small! And what are you doing here? I've missed you so much!"

Issun's jaw dropped, "you two _know_ each other?"

Etsuko grinned at Issun—it was her first real smile all day—and explained, "she's my best friend! Mr. and Mrs. Bamboo used to travel back and forth from Kusa and Kamiki all the time and they would take Kaguya with them. They usually stayed at my house since it was pretty big and it was just me and my dad. After the fire, Mr. Bamboo was going on one of his usual runs and he found me wandering around in Shinshu. My feet had been burnt so I couldn't see, so he took me back to Kusa to live with his family."

"We became practically sisters after that," Kaguya added in enthusiastically.

Etsuko laughed, "Kaga, we were _always_ sisters."

Kaguya rolled her eyes, "point."

Shaking her head Etsuko returned to the original topic, "but seriously, Kaga, how long have you been in here? And what's this about not knowing who you are?"

Kaguya let out a tearful sigh and began, "it's a long story…if only I could just get out of this jail cell…"

Ready to be the hero for a change, Issun jumped forward and half-shouted, "don't worry, honeypie! We'll get you out! Just sit tight!"

Etsuko raised an eyebrow, glaring at Issun…sort of…and grumbled, "honeypie?"

Unsheathing his sword, Issun let the dramatics free as he said, "the magnificent Issun is gonna straighten out that mean old emperor! And then we'll come back and set you free!"

"No, I, um!" Kaguya stammered in protest.

"don't worry your pretty little eyes, sweetie!" Issun halted any further protest, "my partner may not look like much now, but Furball here is actually the great Amaterasu!"

Behind him Etsuko cleared her throat.

Issun added, "and you already know Koko here. So just sit back and relax, we've got it covered here!"

"Oh my…thank you so much!" Kaguya cheered, wiping tears out of her eyes.

Proudly, Issun hopped on Ammy's back and ordered, "let's go Ammy!"

The three ran off the bridge and to the cavern. Leaping off Ammy's back, Issun thrust Denkomaru up in the air shouting, "to that no-good-smelly Emperor!"

_How about to bed, first_ Ammy offered.

"That too!" Issun shouted, about-facing and marching into the cavern. Boy could a babe like that fire him up!

Before he could get too far into the cave, Etsuko grasped hold of him by the shoulder and whirled him around to face her. He was met face-to-face with an enraged glare.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" she demanded.

Issun's eyes widened, "what?"

"Sweetie? _Honeypie_?" she repeated, taking a few steps back, "Kaguya's not another one of your concubines that you can play around with whenever you like, you filthy pervert!"

Uhhhhh….

"What are you talking about?" Issun barked back, "couldn't you see she was upset? I use terms of endearment to comfort girls! I grew up with a sensitive sister! It's a habit!"

"A habit? A _habit_?" Etsuko repeated, she let out a frustrated growl and pointed a clawed finger at him, "well if it's just a habit then where were those 'terms of endearment' when you were comforting me? Huh?"

Issun raised an eyebrow, a smirk spreading across his face. For some reason, Etsuko's remark made him…happy? This was weird…

"Oh? Jealous are we?" Issun asked.

At that Etsuko's face flushed and her eyes widened. She stamped her foot on the ground and shouted, "_No_! I know you well enough Issun, and I can say from experience that your version of comforting is a slap across the face! That wasn't comforting back there! That was man-handling my _best friend_ and I will not have it!"

"Why, would you rather me call you honeypie then?" Issun taunted.

Etsuko growled, "No!"

"Well you're nickname sure is cute, how about I call you Koko?" Issun offered playfully.

Etsuko grabbed hold of Issun by the collar and pulled him close to her face. Her stare was so intense that for the first time, Issun felt he was looking into the eyes of a demon. He knew he always was, but he now realized that any previous display of power she had shown was only a fragment of Etsuko's immense strength.

"Don't call me that," she ordered in a low voice.

Issun squinted his nose and without thinking said, "oh what's the matter? Jealous that your best friend and your nickname are both cuter than you?"

"Excuse you?" Etsuko gasped, throwing Issun back so hard that his neck rocked back as she released him.

"Seriously, no man is gonna want to pursue a scowl like that!" Issun barked.

_Alright, alright, that is enough! _Ammy roared, leaping in between the two. She bumped into Etsuko and pushed her back slightly, as if trying to halt an attack. _This day has dragged on long enough, so before you two tear each other's throats out I suggest you both go to bed, and stop saying these hurtful things to each other. Got it?_

Issun and Etsuko stared defiantly at each other. Sighing, Issun gestured towards the opening of the cavern and sarcastically offered, "Ladies first."

Etsuko rolled her eyes and took a step forward, "Please, you just want an opportunity to look at my ass. Oh wait! You only go after _attractive_ women!"

Etsuko's voice cracked and raised an octave as she said that. Issun paused, his eyes widening. He locked eyes with her for a brief moment, before her unfocused golden irises turned down. Tears hung delicately from the corners of her eyes, threatening to pour out in a waterfall. Letting out a frustrated grunt she spun around quickly and walked inside the cavern.

Just now realizing the hurtful things he said to her, Issun's heart began to sink.

Ammy wandered slowly into the cave. As she passed Issun she looked up at him with scolding, yet sad eyes, _sometimes, you take it just a little too far, Issun,_ she pointed out, _and by that point you don't know when to stop._

The wolf continued forward into the cave, leaving Issun alone by himself. His shoulders sagging, he followed behind Ammy. Etsuko was nowhere to be found, but below him he could here quiet sobs just barely making their way to the surface. Issun and Ammy exchanged glances and Issun pursed his lips, trying to suppress his own tears as guilt weighed down on him like a ton of bricks.

What the hell did he just do?

* * *

**Etsuko**

I choked on my own sobs, trying hard to keep them in. But despite my efforts, tears came streaming down my face. Stupid Issun! He was such a perverted jerk!

I sat in soft grass, hugging my knees to my chest. Giving up on trying to hold the tears back, I buried my head into my arms, and sat there, curled up in a ball, crying softly. I hated that bastard. What was his problem anyway?

"It's 'cause you're not good enough, Etsuko," I mumbled to myself. I wasn't strong enough, I wasn't pretty enough, I just wasn't good enough to capture his attention.

But wait? What did I care? I hated that bastard!

But then again, I couldn't even hold on to my own father's love…and my mother never spared two minutes for me in my childhood…so how the hell was I supposed to impress a complete stranger?

But in reality, Issun was a stupid, perverted little bug! So in the end it didn't even matter!

"Aaaargh!" I rocked my head back and covered my eyes with my hands, letting out a frustrated scream before returning to my fetal position.

"_Issun just has a funny way of showing his feelings is all…"_ Waka's voice echoed in the back of my head from a conversation that seemed like an eternity ago. It was hard to believe that just over a month ago I was wandering back into Kamiki and bumping into a strange white wolf and a persistent bug…

"Yeah…funny is one way to put it…" I mumbled.

"Hey Pup?" Issun called out as he hopped down a cliff and onto the ground where I sat. Oh great…speak of the devil.

"What?" I groaned. I lifted my head up, resting my chin on my forearms, but turned my body away from the bug so he couldn't see my tear-stained face. Issun walked towards me but stopped when he was a body-length away from me.

He pointed to the ground and asked, "is this seat taken?"

"Depends," I answered, "there's only three of us here…but are you gonna humiliate me again?"

Issun lowered his head and in the most solemn voice answered, "No, never."

I sighed, fighting a lip quiver and cocked my head, motioning for him to sit down. He kept his distance, and sat down, facing forward and crossed his legs. I faced away at an angle so he couldn't see my face. We sat there awkwardly for a few moments.

"Pup, I—" Issun began. He then turned towards me, leaning on an arm so he could lean towards me and continued, "I am so sorry. I—I don't know what happened. I just…I know I have a bad temper, and you're right, I honestly don't know how to treat women. My parents died when I was young, and it was always me, my sister, and my grandfather, and in all honesty my sister has terrible taste in men, and that's all I really had to go off of. I don't mean to be disrespectful to women, I just…I just say things…and when it comes to people I care with them…I'm just way too upfront about things, expecting them to just snap out of whatever funk they're in on command but I—I—"

"Issun," I stopped him, "you're speaking a mile a minute."

"Agh, sorry," Issun rocked back to his cross-legged position and twiddled his thumbs. He sighed and started over, "I guess I just…I've been so worried about you lately…you put on a great mask, and sometimes I forget you have a lot going on…but then you wake up in the middle of the night with those nightmares…I can't even begin to imagine what's going on in your head and I want so badly to help you but I know I can't…I guess I just got desperate and lost it. I'm so sorry…"

I sighed. Wiping my face dry and turned myself to face the same direction he was. We didn't face each other, but stared forward. Well, he stared forward; I kept my head facing forward.

"It's okay," I said, forcing a smile, "you were right though…I don't let anyone in. I don't know why, it's just always been instinct for me. Heck, I broke my wrist one time and kept it hidden for a week before I told my dad."

Issun turned towards me, and in a perplexed tone he asked, "but why? Why keep everything to yourself?"

I shrugged, "I don't know. Maybe it's a demon thing. My dad's always been the quiet type…well, you met him briefly. He doesn't say much. But my mom I think is worse. I don't even know what type of demon she is. I don't know where she came from. I don't think my dad even knew! My family…we just don't talk. I don't know why…it's just a habit I formed early on, and I'm scared to trust people."

"But doesn't it hurt?" Issun asked, "doesn't it bother you to hold all that inside and have no one to confide in?"

I nodded, uncertain how to answer that, "I guess…but honestly, I've never been this emotional since I was a kid. I guess it's because I'm letting all this bottled up emotion out…and I hate it when people see me upset. I absolutely hate it…it's embarrassing. I'm supposed to be the strong dog demon who doesn't let anything faze her. But deep down I'm an emotional wreck who everyone would make fun of if they saw me…"

"I wouldn't make fun of you," Issun said suddenly. I jumped and turned to face him. My eyebrows knitted together, slightly confused. Issun shrugged, "I can come up with a million other ways to tease you, but that would be all tongue and cheek."

"Oh?" I asked, letting out a chuckle.

"Etsuko," Issun said in a low voice. He took my hand in his and turned to face me fully, "getting upset and struggling with things like this is nothing to be ashamed of. You've been going through a difficult time in your life and I would never _ever_ deliberately put you down for that. You know you can always come to me, right?"

At that I couldn't help but smile, "yeah, but try not to give me a harsh reality check unless I absolutely need it, okay?"

Issun let out a nervous laugh, "I'm really sorry…"

"It's okay!" I shoved him lightly on the shoulder. Unconsciously, I scooted closer to him.

"Okay cool," Issun chuckled, he then scooted closer to me until our hips were touching. Suddenly, Issun grew serious again and started, "hey Pup?"

"Yeah?" I asked.

"Um…about what I said earlier...outside the cave…" he said nervously.

"Yeah…?" I urged him to continue. I wasn't sure I really wanted to hear what was coming next.

"Well, I didn't mean what I said back there," he said uncomfortably, "Like I said, I really don't know how to act with women…and your right, I shouldn't be flirting with girls, conscious or not, and I shouldn't have said that stuff about you."

"I think we said a lot of things today that neither of us meant," I answered quickly, halting Issun's apology streak. Giggling I offered, "so how about we call it a truce for now and we can start up our petty arguments again when both of us are in a better mood, okay?"

At that Issun laughed, "Okay, deal! But for the record, Etsuko…you really are beautiful."

At that I froze.

"What?" I asked, turning my head towards Issun with a blank expression.

"I um…" Issun continued nervously, "you are incredibly beautiful. One of the prettiest demons I've ever met."

"Well, thanks," I said flatly, "I'm sorry, I don't know how to respond to that…I don't exactly know what I look like."

"Well, you have dark chocolate hair," Issun noted, "it flows down your back like liquid fudge. And your eyes…well, they're gold, and even though you kind of look down at the ground most of the time, those eyes look like the rising sun. And you have a very slim but incredibly muscular figure and…I'm sorry is this weird?"

I spat out a laugh, my face growing hot, "no, not at all…actually I kind of like it! You know I've never been complimented about my looks before. Please continue."

"Haha, okay," Issun chuckled, "well, has anyone ever complimented your personality? Because my gods you have a fiery temper…but you're also very kind, and very gentle. And you are just so strong…and…you're…all around incredible and—"

Issun stopped and looked down at me as I rested my head on his shoulder. Both of us paused for a brief moment, shocked at my sudden movement. At first I expected him to push me off, but he let me be. In fact, he even rested his head on top of mine.

"Well, needless to say, you certainly make my life a lot more entertaining," Issun said softly.

I intertwined both my arms with one of his and snuggled closer to him. Closing my eyes I said, "don't think this means you're off the hook, Bug."

He spat out a laugh and said, "Wouldn't dream of it, Pup."

We sat there in silence for a long time, enjoying each other's company. It was the first time in a long time that I was able to fully relax. But all the same my heart pounded within my chest. What was this feeling inside me?

My thoughts kept drifting back to that conversation I had had with Waka weeks ago…

"_You two will grow closer when the time comes…keep an open mind to what the future holds…"_

At that my eyes snapped open and my heart stopped, as I came to a horrific realization.

As my form tensed up, Issun lifted his head slightly, "Is something wrong?"

"No," I said, "I just caught myself off guard, is all..."

"How so?" Issun asked, slight concern etched in his voice.

"I didn't fully realize the position I was sitting in until just now," I noted, trying to be honest with Issun.

"Oh," Issun said, his face growing hot against my head, "is this too weird for you?"

I shook my head, "not unless it is for you."

"Okay cool," Issun breathed, "though honestly I wouldn't mind lying down."

"Oh, okay," I muttered, pulling away from him. Issun took his hat off and leaned back. I sat next to him awkwardly, not sure what to do.

"Do you um…" Issun stammered, "do you want to lie next to me for the night…?"

"Sure," I said quickly. Without thinking I lied down close to him, using his chest as a pillow. He grunted softly under my weight. His heart pounded loudly in my ear. "Is…is this okay?"

"Y-yeah," Issun stammered. He wrapped an arm around me, and we lied there awkwardly as Amaterasu approached us trotting with a bizarrely joyful swagger.

"What's that look for, Furball?" Issun snapped.

Amaterasu let out a playful bark and chuckled, _oh nothing! I'm just delighted to see you two getting along so well for once!_

I think we both had the feeling Ammy was hinting at something else, what with our odd display of…cuddling…but we ignored her. Ammy curled up next to me and quickly fell asleep. A few moments later, Issun's heart slowed and he began to snore lightly. I stayed up for another hour or so wondering about what I had once deemed, without question, impossible:

Was I…was I falling in _love_?

* * *

Yes, Etsuko, yes you are. So stop being stubborn like your father and deal with it! Again, expect a shit load of action and explosions (well, maybe not explosions...they'll be in an emperor's body after all...) next chapter! 8D


	13. Chapter 12

Hey! I'm alive! And, to anyone who read and kept up with Broken Love (because I have not neglected this story in over three months while writing an entire other story in like...two weeks) I hope you guys liked that story. And for those who have been wondering where in the hell I have been, welp, here I am again! Just following where my muse takes me at this point! XD

Well, anywya,

ENJOI

* * *

**Etsuko**

The next morning, after freeing the brush god Kasugami among other things, we found ourselves in a mad sprint to find the emperor. Suddenly, with Amaterasu's new brush technique in hand, we found ourselves being swarmed by demons (and how demons could get as small as us and survive, I will never know).

"Dammit! They really don't want us getting anywhere, do they?" Issun cursed, killing off two of our attackers with a swing of his Denkomaru. I fought the sensation of my face heating up as Issun grasped hold of my hand. Pulling me forward to follow Ammy, he asked, "Pup, are there anymore demons out there?"

I swallowed a lump in my throat, trying to ignore the vast numbers of demons hurdling towards us, "You don't want to know. But I see a room up ahead with a man in it. He's lying on his back. That might be the emperor!"

Several more demons came up from behind us. I motioned for Issun and Ammy to go on ahead as I paused briefly to spin around and unleash my light whip, slicing every single demon it made contact with in half. Once I knew the coast was clear again I turned to follow the others, but skidded to a halt when I noticed the paths of bamboo shoots standing over puddles of water.

Puddles which, at my current height, were more like oceans.

"Pup! Come on! The emperor's in there! The mist that's been covering the city is concentrated in his room, I think he's the one causing it!" Issun barked at me.

"Uh…that's…great…" I groaned, trying not to panic.

"Etsuko! Snap out of it and hurry it up, will ya?" Issun ordered again. I gulped hard as I took a hesitant step onto the bamboo shoot. The round tube shifted under my weight and I let out a squeal as I lost balance. Groaning, Issun hopped off the perch he and Ammy were standing on and returned to retrieve me. Once he landed next to me, he wasted no time to scoop me up in his arms, carrying me bridal-style all the way to where Amaterasu was waiting. As he set me back down, he said, "sorry, but we don't have time for you to conquer your fear of swimming just yet."

"U-Understood…" I muttered, turning my head away from Issun, trying to hide the fact that my body would tense up and my face would break out into a cold sweat at even the slightest graze of Issun's hand against my body. This was embarrassing. Why was I reacting like this with him? This was Issun, for crying out loud! Pushing the confusing thoughts aside, I followed the others inside the room and immediately had to cover my ears at the deafening snores emitting from the emperor. I couldn't see it, but I could feel that the mist in the room was much more potent than anywhere else in the city. It was enough to make even me gag.

_This is awful,_ Amaterasu's ears flattened, _I'm a god and even I don't know how long I can stay in this room. We best hurry, I sense a powerful presence taking refuge inside the emperor's body._

I nodded and took a step towards the emperor, but slammed into a thin, sticky mesh that I wasn't able to sense with my "sight".

"What the hell?" I spat out in shock, trying to free myself from the mesh but only getting more tangled.

"What, you didn't see the mosquito net?" Issun groaned, watching me trap myself.

"No!" I growled back, "sorry I can't quite see _everything_! Now will you mind helping me out?"

Laughing at me, Issun did as I asked. He then looked up and said, "we'll have to climb the rafters. There seems to be an opening in the mesh just above his head."

And so that's what we did. After scaling the rafters above the emperor and learning that my hatred for spiders might just be greater than my fear of water, we stood at the opening in the mesh. As we were about to jump down, a cloud of mist brought us to a halt and we each turned away, coughing and gagging from the mist's potency. I covered my nose and inched towards the edge of the rafter, observing the emperor. He was clearly unconscious and his mouth hung open allowing the poison to escape his body and plague the entire city. But I sensed something else within him. Something about our size, but with an ominous presence so powerful, I had only felt something comparable to its strength once before. I gulped hard and clenched my hand into a fist. I did not like where this was going.

"Alright, now what?" Issun asked. I shot the bug a glare, and failed. He was the one up until this point making the judgment calls; I was waiting for him to say something!

"Well," I groaned, "whatever or whoever is causing this is hiding inside the emperor. And it feels really strong. It'll probably take all that we've got to bring this sucker down."

At that, Issun gagged, the leadership abilities he had displayed and the respect that I began to felt for him throughout the morning vanishing in one clean swoop as he began to cower. "But if it's _inside_ the emperor, how the hell are we supposed to fight it?"

I rolled my eyes, "We're standing right over him, aren't we?"

Issun and Amaterasu glanced at each other and then inched to the edge of the rafter, both peering down at the sleeping emperor. Ammy's ears flattened as she let out a whimper and Issun made another gagging noise.

"But…that means…" Issun began

…_he has to eat us…_Ammy finished. I nodded my head, my expression unwavering. What was the deal with these guys? Why were they so squeamish all of the sudden?

"Yeah," I said, "we jump in, kill the monster, then get out of there."

"But he has to _eat_ us, Pup!" Issun whined, pitching forward. He threw his hands up in the air and continued to whale, "We'll be done for! There's no way we can get out of there! Not unless we want to pop out the other end!"

"Issun, you sound ridiculous!" I scolded, "it's not that big of a deal!"

"You say this like you've been eaten before!"

"Of course I have!" I retorted, recalling several close-calls with mountain-sized wannabes who thought they could earn some brownie points by killing off and eating the daughter of the great Lord Sesshomaru. Yeah, that didn't end well for those suckers.

Issun was silent, but I could hear a faint moan escape his lips.

Ammy hesitantly asked, _did you have to fight demons inside…whatever swallowed you?_

"Oh yeah," I nodded, crossing my arms, "It would usually be a mountain-sized demon that would attack me, thinking he could get stronger by eating a dog demon. I'd end up in his stomach and find a bunch of other demons he had swallowed, all trying to get at me for the same reason, but also to escape. So I'd fight them off and then get out myself."

"And how did you manage that?" Issun cringed.

"I sliced the loser's gut open and climb out," I answered curtly. I couldn't help but notice the two back away from me slightly. I raised an eyebrow, "what?"

"That's…so gross…" Issun gagged. My eyes widened and I could feel my cheeks heat up. Oh no…was it really that weird? Did he think I was a freakshow? Issun then quickly shook his head and interrupted my own thoughts as he noted, "Anyway! The emperor's kind of an important person and we can't just slice him open to get out. We'd kill him!"

"Right," I responded. Huh…I kind of forgot that humans were so fragile… I then swiftly turned back to the edge of the rafter and said, "look, we can worry about our escape plan later, we have to stop this freak! Are you with me?"

I took a few steps toward the edge until half of my feet were hanging off. I turned back to the other two who shifted uncomfortably.

"Are you sure about this?" Issun asked, "we could die…"

"We always run that risk," I spat back, "we resolved to save this city, didn't we? This is the only way!"

Issun turned his head towards Ammy and asked, "well, what do you think, Furball? Should we go in?"

Amaterasu turned her head from me, to Issun, and back before she nodded and said, _Etsuko's right. Let's do it!_

"Alright!" I pounded my fist to the palm of my other hand and cracked a smile. I waited for Ammy and Issun to get closer to me before I stepped off the edge. The other two followed suit, Issun screaming the entire time. I held my breath as we fell, hoping my resolve was the right one to follow after all.

* * *

**Sesshomaru**

He had roamed the earth for hundreds of years, slain thousands of demons, and in all his long life, the great Sesshomaru had never shed a single tear.

Until the day his daughter was born.

The reaction didn't come right away, in fact, for nearly a week he just stared down at the infant girl he held in his arms in awe. Entranced by her beautiful little face and completely confused as to how he would raise a child, Sesshomaru only wore a frozen expression on his face.

But then, one morning, when he awoke, his head resting on his fur pelt and Etsuko lying beside his face, he knew something was wrong. Kagura was gone.

"_My Lord! My Lord!" Jaken wept and screeched as he ran around, "What are we going to do? We should kill that blasted witch for leaving you in such a state! You're the great Lord Sesshomaru! Not the great Babysitter! You can't raise a child!"_

_At that, Sesshomaru's temper flared and he took a few steps forward, making sure he trampled over the foolish toad. "Jaken," Sesshomaru snapped, "be quiet."_

_As he continued forward, to where, he did not know, Sesshomaru couldn't help but think that Jaken had a point. He had no experience with children, and the more he stared down at the still sleeping Etsuko, bundled up in a blanket and Sesshomaru's fur, the more uneasy the dog demon was beginning to feel about this whole situation. _

"_What am I doing?" he suddenly asked aloud, "I'm not fit to be a father…"_

"_Aye, Milord," Jaken grunted, unaware of what Sesshomaru said, but finding it necessary to agree with whatever his master said, "though what are we going to do if demons come attacking us? It's not like you can hire a babysitter to protect the child while you run off to build your empire! Even if you were to abandon her, your enemies would still find out of her existence and surely kill her. You'll have to leave her somewhere in some kind of barrier if she has any hope for survival!"_

"_Abandon?" Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes, the word tasting fowl on his tongue, "why would I abandon my child, Jaken?"_

"_H-huh?" Jaken gasped, staring at his lord incredulously, "but My Lord! Even you said yourself that you had no intention of raising this girl when Kagura came begging for your help! You only stayed because she went into labor shortly after!"_

"_Did I say that?" Sesshomaru asked. The week had gone by in a blur. He remembered being angry at Kagura who disappeared after that one night, only to reappear suddenly to tell Sesshomaru that he would be a father without giving him time to let the news sink in. The woman had intended to keep Etsuko from him, but only came out of desperation. "I guess I did…hmph…how foolish of me…"_

_Sesshomaru continued forward, an overwhelming guilt weighing on his shoulders. Abandon Etsuko? A week ago, Sesshomaru couldn't even imagine himself as a father, but now…he couldn't imagine himself without his pup. He had no idea where Kagura went, though he had a horrible feeling she wouldn't be returning any time soon. If whatever she was running from hadn't caught onto her pregnancy, and she wasn't forced to go to Sesshomaru for protection, would Kagura have left Etsuko to die?_

_He didn't know how long they had been walking, but Sesshomaru's wandering mind slowed to a stop when a heavy aroma of flowers wafted into his nose, blocking out his sense of smell entirely. He staggered slightly and stiffened as if a barrier were acting on him. Etsuko must've been affected as well because she stirred and began squirming uncomfortably. Her eyes fluttered open and she began to cry._

_Sesshomaru's heart fell at the sound of his child's discomfort and he attempted to rock her gently, having no idea how to comfort a child, "There…there…your father is here. I'll protect you…"_

_Behind him, Jaken let out a screech as he fell to the ground, "Ohhhh…Lord Sesshomaru, can we turn back? If we take another step, we'll be entering Nippon! This area's too pure and is protected by the Wood Sprite Sakuya. She'll surely kill us with her barrier if we draw too near!"_

"_Barrier?" Sesshomaru repeated. Though the toad had been speaking nonsense earlier, he had a point to what he said about protecting Etsuko. It would take a barrier to keep demons away from her. And the barrier of Nippon might be just what the dog demon was looking for. Without thinking, Sesshomaru pushed through, trying his best to ignore the aches and pains that accompanied entering Nippon. "Jaken, stay here, I will be back."_

"_Lord Sesshomaru!" Jaken whaled, "if you step any further…not even you can withstand the purification powers of the Guardian Saplings!"_

"_I don't need to, Jaken," Sesshomaru responded, thinking back to years before, after the siege of the Panther Devas. The little boy who had mistaken Sesshomaru for Shiranui must've been an old man by this point, but surely he must still remember the incident. He had to. "The people of this land owe me a debt. And they're about to repay it."_

_Sure enough, Sakuya eventually recognized Sesshomaru's presence, though it took him reaching the point where the barrier brought him to his knees before she did. He felt guilty, the pain Etsuko must've been enduring that entire time must've been unbearable. Her sobs only grew louder and Sesshomaru tried to hold her tightly, trying to shield her from the pain, but to no avail. Thankfully, just as the dog demon started to give up on the idea, he heard an airy voice call out, "Lord Sesshomaru?"_

_With that, the pain disappeared and was replaced with a peaceful feeling as the warm sun danced along his skin like a blanket. Sesshomaru looked up to see a wood sprite with long black hair pulled back in a bun, rosy cheeks and light pink skin that made her resemble somewhat of a peach staring down at him with warm chocolate eyes. _

"_Sakuya," he breathed, standing to his feet, "I hope I'm still welcomed in these lands."_

"_Of course you are!" Sakuya floated towards Sesshomaru, cupping his face in her hands. She then looked down at what he held in his arms and gasped, "Sesshomaru! Whose child is this?"_

"_Mine," the dog demon answered curtly. Sakuya gently stroked Etsuko's cheek. The baby in turn babbled and giggled, spit bubbles escaping her mouth. Sakuya smiled back up at Sesshomaru, but her smile fell once she saw how distraught the dog demon was, "I'm sorry to ask this of you, but I—we need a place of refuge. Etsuko's mother…left…and I fear that demons will soon come after her. I need to keep her safe, and I feel that this land is the only place that can protect my daughter."_

_Without hesitation, Sakuya nodded and held her arms out, "Sesshomaru, Lord of the Western Lands, Nippon, despite its purity, is a part of your domain. You are welcome anywhere within my barrier for always. You of all people shouldn't have to take refuge in your own lands. Now come, the people of Kamiki await."_

_Sakuya then floated backwards a little bit before disappearing in a pink mist. Off in the distance, atop the mountain where Kamiki lay, the tallest of Guardian Saplings, Sakuya's main tree, began blooming magnificent cherry blossoms as if to welcome Sesshomaru home. The dog demon took a few steps towards the village, but found he needed to take a rest before continuing his journey. _

_He sat down near a Traveler's Statue, cradling Etsuko tightly in his arms. He stared down at the child, and for the first time since her birth he was able to see just how beautiful his little girl was. _

"_Etsuko…" Sesshomaru breathed. He lifted a hand and gently stroked the baby's face with his claws. A lump began to form in his throat and a strange sensation overwhelmed him. He had never before been swayed by his emotions, and for a brief moment, the hollow feeling in his chest and the quivering of his lip frightened him. "Y-you're safe now…" Sesshomaru whimpered. Was he-was he actually crying?_

_Etsuko only stared up at Sesshomaru unknowingly, a blank expression in her beautiful golden eyes. She stretched her arms and legs upward, experimenting with her range of motion before she wrapped her little hand around Sesshomaru's finger. At that, Sesshomaru, the great dog demon, just about lost it. _

_He squinted his eyes shut and pulled the baby towards his face as he kissed her cheek and her forehead, and then her hand which was still in his. Never in his life had Sesshomaru been overwhelmed by such an indescribable joy as this. He rocked baby Etsuko gently and allowed the tears to escape his eyes before he composed himself and made his way towards Kamiki. _

"_I'll always protect you, Etsuko," Sesshomaru whispered gently in his child's ear, "no matter what the cost."_

The only other time Sesshomaru had ever cried was when Rao delivered the news he dreaded hearing: that Etsuko's blindness couldn't be fixed.

In fact, when Rao told Sesshomaru and Kagura that her blindness was the result of a curse, Sesshomaru felt as if the life had been sucked right out of him. Kagura left shortly after that meeting, feeling no reason to stay with her helpless child. No reason to be a mother to a little girl in her time of need.

"_So you're going again?" Sesshomaru asked, holding Etsuko's hand. They hadn't even reached Agata Forest and Kagura had pulled the feather out of her hair. _

"_This is my fault," Kagura sighed heavily, "If I hadn't troubled you with…all of this…we wouldn't be in this situation right now. I might as well leave and not cause any more trouble for you."_

"_But…but Mother!" Etsuko whimpered, her eyes continually searching for the owners of her parents' voices. The priestess's reaction towards the curse had frightened Etsuko out of her wits and she was still trembling as her father guided her home, and the news of her mother leaving her yet again only made things worse. But Kagura was oblivious to her child's fears and merely hopped onto her feather and flew away. _

_Etsuko tried everything to keep from crying, but she couldn't help letting a few whimpers and tears escape her. The sight of his child's anguish only broke Sesshomaru's heart more, and when they finally returned to Kamiki, to their small little house atop the cliff, the great dog demon felt completely and utterly defeated. Etsuko hobbled her way to her bed and lied down, exhausted from travels. Sesshomaru took a seat beside his daughter and leaned against the wall. He placed his hand gently on Etsuko's head, alerting her of her father's presence, and began to stroke her hair. _

_The two sat in silence before finally, Sesshomaru mustered, "Etsuko…I am so, so sorry."_

_At that, Etsuko sat up, confused. She crawled, feeling her way onto Sesshomaru's lap. She placed her hands on his chest and asked, "What do you mean Daddy?"_

"_I don't know…I can't help but feel that this is all my fault," Sesshomaru sighed, fighting the tears. Etsuko's lip quivered and she shook her head, lifting her hand and placing it on Sesshomaru's cheek. _

"_What do you mean by that?" Etsuko asked, "Daddy, you're the best Daddy in the whole wide world! I don't know what that lady meant, but I'm not cursed. Cursed people aren't happy, right? Well, I'm the happiest girl alive and it's all because of you!"_

"_Etsuko…" Sesshomaru breathed. He pulled his little girl in to a tight hug, not wanting to let her go. _

"_Though Daddy? I kind of have a question…" Etsuko began to shift uncomfortably._

"_Hm?" Sesshomaru responded._

"_Why is the world so dark?" Etsuko asked. _

_At that, Sesshomaru sighed heavily, dreading the day Etsuko would ask him that question. He pulled out of the hug and stroked Etsuko's hair gently as he tried to explain, "Well, you can't see the world like other people, dear."_

"_Is your world dark too?" Etsuko asked curiously._

_Sesshomaru bit his lip, fighting his anguish as he answered, "No."_

_At that, Etsuko's eyebrows furrowed as her hand on Sesshomaru's cheek curled into a small little fist before relaxing again as she asked, "Are other people's worlds dark too?"_

"_Some of them, but not most," was all Sesshomaru could muster._

_Etsuko frowned, and her confused expression only broke the dog demon's heart even more. Sesshomaru tried to blink his tears away as he listened to his little girl's next question, "Then why is it that only my world is dark?"_

_At that, Sesshomaru placed his hand over hers and clenched it tightly as he began to weep, "I don't know, Etsuko. I wish I knew why your eyesight was taken, but I don't."_

"_Taken?" Etsuko raised an eyebrow, confused, "Who took my sight?"_

"_I don't know," Sesshomaru repeated, allowing tears to escape his eyes, "Etsuko, I am so sorry!"_

"_Don't be sorry, Daddy! It isn't your fault!" Etsuko tried to reassure her father. She then paused as Sesshomaru's tears dripped into her hand. Etsuko frowned and looked up at Sesshomaru sadly asking, "Daddy, why does your face feel wet?"_

_Sesshomaru grimaced as he shook his head, trying to keeping from sobbing as he wept, "I'm crying, Etsuko."_

"_Why are you crying?" Etsuko asked, horribly confused. Her innocence of the world's horrors only made the dog demon feel worse._

_Without thinking, Sesshomaru pulled Etsuko into his arms and continued to cry, feeling utterly helpless and incredibly guilty that there was nothing he could do to protect his own child. "I'm crying for you," Sesshomaru explained, his voice shaking, "my daughter."_

To think that Sesshomaru could be reduced to tears. Until he realized how empty his life had been before Etsuko was brought to him, Sesshomaru only thought of shedding tears and emotion as weakness. Part of him still did, and when he thought he had lost his child for good, his heart had frozen solid, unable to thaw enough to give way to such feelings ever again.

But now…

Etsuko was beyond the wall which led to the emperor's palace. The fate of this city was up to her and her companions. Sesshomaru knew that his daughter was strong, he knew that she would be alright. However…

However, the words that he had said to her out of desperation to keep her away from him. Out of desperation to protect her…was that really worth it?

"Hey! Sesshomaru! Wait up!" Inuyasha chased his elder brother around the city and along Ryoshima. What, did the half-breed have nothing better to do? Sesshomaru grimaced, but otherwise ignored his younger brother, hoping Inuyasha would eventually give up and leave.

But of course, the bastard was stubborn as ever and dared to even walk alongside Sesshomaru and place a rough hand on his shoulder as he growled, "Hey! I'm talking to you! Sesshomaru!"

"WHAT?" Sesshomaru roared as he snapped, shooting Inuyasha an evil glare, "What could you possibly want?!"

At that, Inuyasha jumped and stepped back slightly. Sesshomaru let out a growl and continued forward, thinking he had finally rid himself of the pest. But of course not! Inuyasha was stubborn and an idiot!

"I want to know what the hell is going on with you!" Inuyasha barked, catching up with his brother. "Sesshomaru, look, I know we've never gotten along…at all…but I've never seen you like this before. I never even knew you had a daughter! I couldn't see it before, but she really looks up to you and—"

"Your point is, Inuyasha?" Sesshomaru asked in a low voice. He narrowed his eyes, he didn't need to be chided by his half-bred younger brother.

"I saw that look in your eyes," Inuyasha answered, "I saw how much it hurt you to say those things to her. I don't know why you did, but I can tell it's something you didn't want to do. Is Naraku tied into this?"

"That's none of your business," Sesshomaru spat back and turned to leave. Inuyasha grasped hold of Sesshomaru's shoulder and spun him around before grabbing the dog demon by the collar of his shirt and pulling him face-to-face with his younger brother. Sesshomaru's eyes widened in shock. That wretch dare belittle Sesshomaru like that?"

"She's my niece! Of course she's my business!" Inuyasha roared, "I don't know what's going through your head, but this is bothering you, Sesshomaru! This is your daughter and I can tell that you care about her! And she cares about you more than you could ever know or understand! Don't throw away your relationship with Etsuko like you threw away your relationship with me!"

"Relationship?" Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow. His anger began to boil and he shoved Inuyasha away before he stomped off, "My love for Etsuko is deeper than you could possibly understand, so don't pretend that you do! And we never had a relationship. You're a half-bred bastard child born of a human princess and a man who cheated on his wife, don't forget that."

"Oh yeah?" Inuyasha barked back, "if that's true, then why the hell did you look after me all those years after my mother died, huh? Why'd you protect me? The village was going to kill me once she passed on, so why not let it happen? You took me in, Sesshomaru! You taught me how to fend for myself, but then you threw me away like garbage! And for what? A grudge with Father that I had nothing to do with? Why did you betray me? Why are you betraying Etsuko?"

"DON'T YOU DARE ACCUSE ME OF BETRAYING YOU OR ETSUKO!" Sesshomaru roared back, his rage overwhelming him to the point where he released a huge amount of his demonic energy as his eyes turned a blood red, his instincts threatening to take over. He paused long enough to regain his composure, pushing unwanted memories out of his mind before he continued, "Don't make this about you, Inuyasha. You know nothing of the past. I had my reasons for what I did then, just as I have my reasons now. You know nothing of the past. And you know nothing of me! You and Etsuko are _not_ the same!"

"But the way you've treated us, is!" Inuyasha crossed his arms and glared at Sesshomaru. But then the hanyou sighed heavily, looking defeated, "you may be right, I don't know what was going through your head then or what's going through it now. I know hardly anything about you, and I don't really know anything about our father. But I do know that you're breaking your kid's heart by the way you're acting. And I have a feeling that you just might be breaking your own, if you have one that is."

"Leave me, Inuyasha," was all Sesshomaru could say.

"Sesshomaru—"

"Please! Just…just go…" Sesshomaru's voice shook. He turned his head away from Inuyasha and stared out at the ocean. The sun was beginning to rise and a light mist sprinkled down from the skies. He heard Inuyasha sigh heavily and then turn back to find his friends. As he was left alone, the dog demon became overwhelmed with memories and emotions he had long forgotten about.

Images of a young Inuyasha flashed in his mind as Sesshomaru realized that, as much as he denied it, he _had_ betrayed his younger brother. The demons of high society which Sesshomaru had grown up around were beginning to question his motives for allowing a hanyou to tag along with him, much less the hanyou who stole Sesshomaru's birthright—the Tetsusaiga. Of course, Sesshomaru, though full grown was still in many ways considered a pup back then, didn't understand what that truly meant. Sure, he was bitter towards his father and felt like his father had turned a blind eye towards his son, but that was no reason to hate Inuyasha, was it? But as tensions grew, and when Sesshomaru's mother had even attempted to kill Inuyasha, it wasn't until then when the dog demon realized just how hated and just how much danger Inuyasha was in. So he abandoned the boy. He was old enough to fight on his own by that point, surely he would be fine. He left without a word, and they hardly spoke until one day, Sesshoamru caught news of his younger brother…hanging around a human priestess. Sesshomaru approached Inuyasha upon hearing the news, but the younger brother only fought back against him, ignorant and arrogant, using his "birthright from their father" as a way to hold himself higher than Sesshomaru.

Inuyasha had no idea what his birthright was back then, but from his experiences with the higher demons in years past, he knew he had something that Sesshomaru didn't. The way Inuyasha disrespected his elder brother and the way he was falling for a human, just like their father, outraged Sesshomaru to the point of wanting to kill the brat, so he left angrily. The news of Inuyasha being sealed to a tree by that same priestess, along with the later death of Etsuko—a fate Sesshomaru felt could have been stopped had he possessed a greater power, a power like Tetsusaiga—sealed Sesshomaru's hatred towards Inuyasha for good. Though it wasn't until that moment did Sesshomaru even consider what Inuyasha must've been thinking during those times. And when he thought of how horrible Inuyasha must've felt, he began to think of how awful Etsuko must've been feeling right then.

Inuyasha was right, he had treated both his brother and his daughter the exact same way. In many ways, Sesshomaru was still so irrationally angry with Inuyasha that he didn't bother to regret his decisions. But Etsuko…what had he done? Moreover, what could he even do to fix things? Nothing. If he even approached her, Etsuko would begin to look sickly. She was cursed. And it was his fault.

Unable to bear the weight of his crimes, Sesshomaru fell to his knees and allowed himself to cry for the third time in his life.

* * *

**Etsuko**

Yeah, now I wasn't so sure this was a good idea. Unlike my two encounters with giants, the insides of the emperor were so…slimy! I kept slipping and my feet kept coming out from underneath me, I was walking around like a drunken fool. And I was covered in slime…it was _disgusting_

Issun and Amaterasu were sliding a little bit as well, but unlike me, Issun had shoes and Amaterasu had padded paws which gave them enough traction to walk down the human's esophagus without nearly as much trouble as I was having.

"Oh, gods, this is so _gross_!" I squealed, sitting up after falling _again_!

"You really need to invest in some footwear, Pup," Issun noted, holding out his hand. I gulped hard as I grasped onto it and he helped me stand. I slipped a little bit and bumped into the bug, my body pressing against his. My heart began racing a million miles a minute as I stepped away from him slightly, trying to maintain my composure.

"Wish I could," I said, clearing my throat, "but I've tried and I can't see with shoes on."

Just then, a loud and deafening groan emitted from the emperor's throat, knocking us all off our feet from the vibrations. As the groan sounded, I couldn't help but feel that something was horribly, horribly wrong.

_The emperor's dying,_ Amaterasu noted, only confirming my fears. I searched the body, looking for the intruder. I could see an armored figure standing just outside the stomach, arms crossed and waiting for us. I stood on my feet and took Issun by the hand and sprinted forward.

"This way!" I said. The monster had several swords on him…all over him. As we approached the demon, I realized that the demon wasn't clad in armor at all. He _was_ the armor. And the swords.

_Under my control, this body breathes evil mist over the city,_ the monster hissed, _And you, mutt, you dare attempt to clear the skies of my poison? Waging battle with me inside a human body will be no easy task…even now, Goldnail, the mighty sword cries out for your blood!_

I narrowed my eyes, observing the monster. A light flickered in my eyes briefly, catching me off guard, and then suddenly, the sword he held became the only thing I could see with my actual eyes. It glowed an ominous blue, making me feel uneasy.

"Issun, Ammy," I said in a low voice, "that sword he is referring to…I can see it with my eyes…that sword is alive…"

_How resourceful of you, _the monster beckoned towards me, _a blind demon with a Spirit Eye. You must be the cursed child of legend. Well, then. Come! Step forward so that I, the indomitable Blight, may cut you down!_

Isssun snickered at that and leapt into the air as he unsheathed Denkomaru, taking a swipe at Blight and knocking the monster off his feet. Issun let out a cocky laugh and said, "Oh, I'll step forward alright! You're a real piece of work, Blight! Better say your prayers!"

I grinned and lowered my stance, readying myself for a fight. Beside me, Amaterasu let out a low growl. Blight sat up and spat, "You uncultured wretch!" He then stood up and held out his sword and threatened, "be warned, we are in the very bowels of the emperor. If we fight here, his body will not—"

"Give me a break!" Issun snapped, interrupting the monster, "a little action here will help him wake up! But never mind that, you're the one behind that poison mist! Possessing a human body may be an elaborate trick, but it ends now! With my supreme blade, Denkomaru, and my two best friends, the great Amaterasu and the amazing Etsuko, I, the magnificent Issun shall rend that hunk of junk you call a sword!"

I rolled my eyes as Issun rambled on and on with the honorifics. "Laying it a little thick there, Bug," I groaned, standing beside him. "But anyway…" I crouched down before I lunged forward to attack Blight as I cried out, "Let's end this!"

As I came crashing down on the monster, my claws merely bounced off Blight's armor and in turn, Blight struck me hard in the side, throwing me back. I fell back and rolled and slid on the ground as Issun and Ammy quickly came to the same conclusion I had. I sat up and placed my hand out in front of me to stop Issun's momentum. He let out a frustrated growl as he clenched his sword tightly. Blight let out a chuckle and then disappeared. The three of us froze, but before we had time to react, Blight reappeared from behind and attacked Amaterasu, striking her upside the head. Ammy let out a yelp and fell backwards in a daze.

"Furball!" Issun called out, worried. Without time to help her, I grabbed Issun by the back of his shirt and pulled him out of the way just as Blight aimed to attack him. We barely managed to dodge his attack, but as Blight fell forward, his armor shifted awkwardly as if it were about to fall apart.

_What?_ Blight looked around confused, his armor clanging together uncomfortably. Raising an eyebrow, I released my light whip and struck him, and his armor came flying apart in all directions and his sword, Goldnail, landed right in front of us.

"I've got it!" I called out, running towards the sword, but its barrier rejected me and blew me away. The sword lifted off the ground as the armor began to reassemble.

_You wench! How dare you!_ Blight's voice hissed through the glowing sword. It was then when it clicked. The sword Blight had was not alive on its own accord. It was Blight's life-force altogether. Blight reassembled and made another move to attack us, his moves were jerky and unbelievably fast, able to strike Issun down easily, but as I watched and managed to dodge his attacks, he was becoming predictable.

"Issun! Ammy! You alright?" I called out. Blight managed to slice my kimono sleeve, cutting my arm slightly, but otherwise I was fast enough to dodge him. If only I could get behind him and confuse him again…

"Yeah!" Issun grunted. Blight then jumped, turning his attention towards the poncle and the wolf who were sitting up. His armor shifted again. I ducked down and managed to get away from him. When Blight turned back around, he stumbled forward, confused. His armor began to detatch. I smirked. Just what I needed.

I pounced on him and clawed his armor off as it flew in all directions, the sword landing in front of Issun. He stared at it confused.

"Take down the sword!" I called out, "that's Blight's life-force! Destroy the sword!"

"How?" Issun called back.

"I don't care how, just do it!"

Amaterasu ran up and released her Celestial Brush and called out, _Powerslash!_ As she struck the sword, Blight cried out in pain and his armor struggled to reassemble. I tried swatting the armor away to buy Amaterasu and Issun more time to destroy the sword, but that thing would not go down.

_You wench, I'll kill you!_ Blight hissed as the sword finally unstuck itself and slashed at my friends before returning to the armor. The armor closed around me and I tried to get away, but Blight grasped hold of me, trapping me.

"Etsuko!" Issun called out. He began to run towards me, but Blight released an enormous amount of miasma. I coughed as my body began to go numb from the gas.

_Make one move and she dies,_ Blight said. I struggled to lift my head. Was he really that desperate? Already?

"Let her go!" Issun cried out. I narrowed my eyes, could he not see that Blight was nearly defeated?

"Issun…" I croaked, trying to calm him down, but Blight, in turn, used his armor to crush and suffocate me. I let out a yelp, unable to breath.

"ETSUKO!" Issun screamed, growing beside himself. Why was he getting so upset? I could get out of this…I think.

_Leave this body, and maybe I will spare her life,_ Blight chuckled. If I could breath, I would have laughed. Spare me? Yeah, right!

_Issun,_ Amaterasu spoke up, _stay calm. There is no need to overwhelm yourself._

"Dammit, but she's in trouble!" Issun spat back. He then lunged forward and raised his sword. Blight unleashed another wave of miasma and loosened his grip enough to force me to inhale it. I hacked and coughed, my body threatening to fail me. But then suddenly, I felt my muscles pulse in some sort of spasm.

_What?_ Blight asked fearfully. He released me and backed away as I fell to my knees. The massive amounts of miasma in my body provoked something within me. I gagged as my body pulsed again. What—what was this? Suddenly, my instincts took over as I sat back, lifting my head up and let out a roar.

And then everything faded away.

* * *

**Issun**

He froze and stared in horror when Etsuko opened her eyes to reveal blood red retinas and sky blue irises. Her markings darkened and she lifted her head up and let out a blood-curdling roar.

"Pup!" Issun called out. What was happening to her?

_She's performing a Yoki release!_ Ammy warned, _Issun, we can't let her transform in here!_

"Transform? Into what?" Issun asked fearfully.

_What do you think? She's a dog demon, isn't she?_ Furball pointed out. At that, Issun's eyes widened as he stared at the terrifying creature that was now attacking Blight with full power. The glowing sword was released from Blight's grasp, but Etsuko continued to blindly attack, and even started attacking the emperor. _Issun, we have to purify her! _Ammy finally said.

"But if we do that then—" Issun began.

_Don't worry about that! You go and use your own brush technique on Etsuko, I'll put an end to Blight's sword over there!_ Ammy ordered.

"But—"

_Just do it!_

Not wanting to question a god, Issun did as he was told. He sprinted forward and grasped hold of Etsuko's shoulders. The dog demon in turn spun around and let out a growl, turning her claws on the poncle.

"Hey! It's me!" Issun shouted back at her in shock. Etsuko paused, growling, her eyes not showing any sign of recognition. "P-Pup?" Issun asked again, his voice faltering. In response, Etsuko let out a roar and raised her clawed hand, but Ammy came up from behind and used her _Bloom _technique to purify the air around Etsuko, along with the demon herself. Etsuko's face contorted into a pained expression before her eyes returned to normal. Etsuko groaned as she fell to her knees, coughing.

"Etsuko!" Issun called out, kneeling down beside the demon. He placed his hands on her shoulders and asked, "are you okay?"

Heaving, Etsuko glared up at the poncle before lifting her fist and punching him hard in the jaw, "You asshole! What the hell was that for?"

"What did I do?" Issun spat back angrily.

"You weren't supposed to save me!" Etsuko growled at him, staggering to her feet.

"Then what was I supposed to do? Let you die?" Issun shouted back. The two got in each other's faces, glaring at each other.

_Guys! We have bigger problems on our hands!_ Ammy warned. The two redirected their attention to a reassembling Blight. Etsuko let out a growl.

"You mean that you couldn't even put an end to Blight while I was out?" Etsuko snapped, narrowing her eyes.

"You were going crazy!" Issun spat back, "you went all demon on us, what were we supposed to do?"

"Kill Blight first, obviously! And then purify me if you had to!" Etsuko spat back.

_See? What did I tell you?_ Ammy lowered her voice.

"I don't need you guys antagonizing me here! I've never been friends with a demon before!" Issun groaned, smacking his hand to his face.

"Nevermind that!" Etsuko groaned. She then pounced on Blight, releasing her light whip and slashing at the monster nonstop. It was all Issun could to do stay standing as he stared at the young woman, her dark hair dancing as she spun around and fought Blight so gracefully, it looked as if she were dancing. What was wrong with Issun? Why was he getting so…overwhelmed by…by what, he had no idea. Why?

_Issun! Come on, get a grip!_ Amaterasu growled, joining in with Etsuko. She came up from behind and struck Blight. As she did so, the monster's armor clapped and clanged around, shifting strangely, just as it did before the sword separated from the rest of Blight. Amaterasu took the surprise as their chance and used her _Powerslash_ on Blight, causing the armor to separate.

"Now!" Etsuko cried out. Snapping out of his trance, Issun ran towards the sword as fast as he could and raised Denkomaru, delivering the final blow and destroying Goldnail. Blight, in response, let out a scream as he dissipated in the green fog.

As he disappeared, the fog of miasma was purified, the green mist lifting. All three panting, they looked around. Realizing it was over, Issun broke out in a smile as he cheered, "alright! We did it, guys!"

Etsuko looked around, a confused expression on her face. "Yeah, I guess it is."

Issun then hopped on Ammy's back and said, "Alrighty, Furball, how about one of those victory howls? Oh, wait! I almost forgot, Kaguya's still waiting on us!" Issun closed his eyes and listened, hearing the snores of the emperor. "He's still fast asleep…what do you guys say we take control of him and free Kaguya?"

Etsuko's face paled as her eyes widened, "Take…control? Just how are we going to do that?"

Issun grinned as he began hopping around the emperor's stomach. As he stirred it up, he said, "well, first we've got to stir him up like this and…huh?" Suddenly, everything began rocking back and forth to the point no one could keep their balance.

_Issun, this is a bad idea!_ Ammy shrieked as the trio was suddenly shot up into the air. When they landed, Issun sat up and realized that they had managed to get the emperor to stand. Using the emperor, they made their way to the holding cell where Kaguya was, then proceeded to free her. Then finally, when it was all said and done, Issun got the emperor to sneeze and the three came flying out of the emperor, Etsuko and Ammy returning to normal size. Ammy let out a victory howl and Issun couldn't help but feel satisfied that their work here was done.

Until he got a good look at Etsuko.

Then he broke out into an incredulous laugh, "You look ridiculous!"

Etsuko gave a nasty glare in no particular direction as she stood, her kimono torn and covered in emperor slobber and dirt. "Shut your trap, this is your fault, you know! Ugh…you mind if we stop to buy some fresh clothes?"

_Yeah, I think that kimono's seen better days, Etsuko,_ Ammy nodded, trying not to laugh and the poor girl's disgusting state. Issun and Ammy were also covered in saliva and bodily fluids, but Ammy was a dog. And Issun, well, he didn't do nearly as much slipping and sliding as Etsuko did. Plus he was still small.

"You all…" a man's voice called out. The three turned to see the emperor staring at them in awe, "I seem to have fallen in a slumber and remember very little. But I had a dream about you three…a dream where the city was in danger and you managed to save it, and save me."

"Uh…well, that may or may not have been a dream," Issun mumbled.

_Hush, _Furball warned.

"Sir," Etsuko stepped forward, acting as the diplomat. She bowed her head and said, "Forgive me for standing before you in such an unsightly state. However, you fell into a coma and your city was plagued by the evil spirit that possessed you. Do you remember none of that?"

The emperor jumped at the sight of Etsuko and said, "a demon? You are not like the others I have encountered. No, there is a purifying aura that surrounds you despite your demonic energy. And the white wolf, for some reason I feel so at peace in your presence. I am a collector of Demon Fangs, you know, and I am willing to trade any fangs you have for some of my treasure. I may even have some new clothes for you, kind and beautiful demon."

"Uhh…yes please!" Etsuko answered, dumbfounded by the emperor's kind reaction. They followed the emperor into his private quarters. He offered Etsuko a shower, which she gladly accepted. Then he showed Etsuko a series of outfits that seemed far too fancy for her needs. Etsuko settled on a pair of red capris that resembled Inuyasha's pants slightly and a skin-tight pink top with a high collar and no sleeves. Ammy dug out a pair of brown boots made of animal skin and pleaded for Etsuko to try them on, even making a hole in the sole for Etsuko to see out of. Groaning, Etsuko did, and was pleasantly surprised that she could see quite well with them on.

"It's like my vision was magnified because I'm using a smaller portion of my foot, I like it," Etsuko explained.

_See?_ _I told you,_ Ammy said. Finally, Etsuko picked out a gold sash to tie around her waist, matching the buttons to her shirt. The whole outfit looked surprisingly color-coordinated for a blind demon, but Issun noted that Furball seemed to be having a little too much fun helping Etsuko pick out the "right outfit". Pup had to have gone through at least a dozen outfits until Ammy was satisfied with Etsuko's look. Finally Etsuko took the pink ribbon she always had and tied the end of her hair in it.

"Better?" Issun asked when Etsuko finally came out, ready to go. His face turned bright red when he saw her, her muscular figure highlighted by the shirt she wore.

Completely blind to her friend's sudden bout of attraction for her, Etsuko smiled and nodded, "yes, much better."

"Just one moment, I have one more artifact I think you will like, Miss Etsuko," the Emperor called after Etsuko. He held out two gold bangles, gesturing for her to take it. Etsuko took one of the rings in her hand and held it gently as the emperor explained, "I was given these by a traveling warrior wearing a mask. He said that these enchanted bracelets came from the holy lands of Kamui and that only a chosen few are able to use these holy weapons to their full potential. For your journey, I feel that these could come in handy."

"But these are holy weapons," Etsuko repeated, "and I am a demon. I don't think I'll be able to use them."

"And that, my dear, is where I think you might be wrong," the emperor said, "I feel a pure aura within you. You're not like any other demon I've come across, and I've come across friendly demons before. At least try to activate the bangle. If it works, I'll give it to you for free."

"Oh my, that's awfully generous of you, my lord," Etsuko noted. She held the bracelet in her hand and closed her eyes, concentrated. Issun stared in awe as the bangle began to glow and shape-shifted into a blade. The gold, bow-shaped blade curved all the way up to Etsuko's elbow and had a bar coming off the inside of it for Etsuko's fingers to wrap around and maneuver it. Etsuko's eyes widened as the blade transformed.

"W-Wow…" was all Issun could muster, and he wasn't sure if his awe was caused by the bracelet transforming or by Etsuko's beauty…

They thanked the emperor for his help and left the palace. Issun rode atop Ammy's head, and stretched his arms up. It was amazing how blue the sky was when there was no poisonous gas floating around the place!

"This is pretty great!" Issun cheered, "I guess now we can relax, eh, Pup?"

"Why are you asking me?" Etsuko retorted, raising an eyebrow. Issun couldn't help but notice the lonely expression on her face. Was she still upset about her dad? Or…

Really, what was she thinking in that moment?

_Well, there's still the issue of the Water Dragon, and throughout this whole fiasco, the queen of the city has done nothing to help her citizens. Don't you guys think that that is something to investigate?_ Furball asked. Issun and Etsuko were both silent, but they each nodded. Issun hopped onto Etsuko's shoulder and was about to say something, but as he stared down at the ground, which was suddenly too far away from him, Issun forgot what he wanted to say. Suddenly, the Poncle was really bummed out.

Now that Etsuko was normal height again, Issun appeared really tiny to her.

Issun thought back to the night before, which had strangely seemed like forever ago. She had fallen asleep next to him, her head on his chest…

The Poncle quickly shook the thought off. There was no reason for him to be thinking about such stupid things. They were just friends, that's it!

"We should probably find the others, first," Etsuko said quickly, turning her direction towards the main part of the city. "They aren't outside the palace anymore, but I can smell Inuyasha just at the outskirts of Sei-an."

"R-right," Issun mumbled. He crossed his arms and legs and rode on Etsuko's shoulder, the entire time wanting to say _something_ to her, but he couldn't seem to find the right words.

Why was everything getting so complicated between them?


	14. Chapter 13

This chapter is too damn long but I don't care I've neglected it! Again! I at least owe you and Etsuko SOMETHING. Eh. Oh well. One day I will be able to focus my attention on finishing a story. (preferably on that I will publish seeing as I promised myself to finish THAT one before summer ended and...oh look, I move into my dorm in four days. So you know what? Fucking YOLO) Anyway, onwards and upwards!

ENJOI

* * *

**Inuyasha**

God dammit, Sesshomaru could be such an asshole! Inuyasha stomped back through the gates of Sei-an so angrily, that he hadn't even noticed the absence of the sickening fog until he bumped into a series of chipper—and peculilarly healthy—humans who were bouncing around the streets as if nothing ever happened.

"What the hell…?" the hanyou grumbled, but he looked up in time to see Kagome and the others running towards him elated.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome called out, "they did it! I don't know how, but Etsuko and her friends broke the curse of this city!"

Inuyasha looked around, sniffing the air. It was pure as ever. Like nothing happened. Odd. Whatever was behind this was no ordinary demon. Either that, or Etsuko and her friends weren't ordinary people. Or both. The hanyou had an eerie feeling that the answer was leaning towards the latter. He began to shrug the thought off momentarily and was ready for a brief pause for celebration and regrouping with the other three until Kagome once again dashed all chances for a good mood when she asked, "did you have any luck with Sesshomaru?"

Inuyasha let out an abrupt growl as he stomped past her, deliberately ramming into her with enough force to push her to the side. "Don't even mention that bastard's name!"

Behind him, Shippo hopped onto Kagome's shoulder and grumbled, "That bad, huh?"

The hanyou let out another growl and balled his hands into fists so tight that his claws pierced the skin in the palm of his hand. He didn't know why the whole situation was pissing him off so much, but for whatever reason, seeing Etsuko's face when Sesshomaru all but disowned her brought way to many forgotten memories back to his mind. God dammit, why did his childhood suck that much? And why the hell did he have to see so much of himself in the younger dog demon? Dammit!

His train of thought was interrupted yet again when his ears picked up soft but distinct calls that grew louder and louder as the mismatched trio plus one were running towards him, all the while shouting at each other. The new scent, however, was probably the most intriguing of all. It was otherworldly like the wolf's, but not as divine as her scent. And by the sound of it, Etsuko was very familiar with the newcomer.

"Kaguya! What are you doing?" he heard the bug cry out. "First you don't know who you are and now we're going to Sasa Sanctuary? Come on!"

"I must find out who I am!" an airy voice replied. "These memories—this vision is telling me to go there!"

"God dammit, Kaga, you and your stupid visions! Slow down!" Etsuko barked in response.

"At least I _have _visions!" the light voice retorted, but there was oddly no hostility in her voice despite the remark. Inuyasha could hear Etsuko let out a strangely playful growl in response.

"Hey! At least I can see where I'm going, unlike the damsel in distress over here!"

"Bitch! Take that back!"

"Make me!"

"Dog-breath!"

"Bamboo-hugger!"

"You-! Aarrrgh! Oh! AAH!" At about that time, a blonde-haired girl rounded the corner of one of the buildings and tripped over the layers of her long pink kimono and face planted. How that child could even walk with a skirt that long was beyond him. And somehow his mother did that every day. With even more layers than this brat.

Etsuko bounced into the hanyou's line of sight soon after wearing a new form-fitting and much more athletic outfit and shouted, "HA! Told ya!" before she grabbed the other girl by the hair to pull her on her knees. The girl squealed and smacked Etsuko's hand as she opened a pair of ice blue eyes and shot the demon a nasty glare.

"Hey! Don't be so rough! I'm not an uncultured wretch like you!" she snapped.

"And _now_ you can think of an insult?" Etsuko (attempted) to roll her eyes as she placed her hands on her hips. They were silent for a moment before the two girls suddenly doubled over in fits of laughter. The white wolf and bug finally rounded the corner, panting, looking about as confused as Inuyasha felt.

"Um…" the hanyou finally mustered. "I take it the plague is gone?"

Etsuko and the new girl both paused and the new girl looked up at Inuyasha while Etsuko grinned and nodded her head.

"Sure did!" the dog demon declared triumphantly, and, somehow remembering her manners, helped the new girl onto her feet and introduced, "Inuyasha, this is my best friend Kaguya. Her grandfather sells bamboo throughout Nippon and they took me in for a couple of years. Kaguya, this is my hard-headed uncle, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes, not sure how fond he was of his introduction but he hesitantly lifted his hand in a polite wave. "Hey."

Kaguya in response blinked several times in awe, "Koko! I didn't know you had an uncle!"

"I didn't either," Etsuko shrugged. "Met him last week."

"Wow," Kaguya gaped. And-like every human girl seemed to love to do these days!—she quickly advanced on Inuyasha and began tugging at his ears. "Such cute little doggie ears! Koko, why don't you have a set of these?"

Before Etsuko could answer and humiliate the hanyou even more, Inuyasha let out a stiff growl and swiped Kaguya's hands away and placing a firm grip on Tetsusaiga for emphasis. "Because I'm half-human, dimwit! Now will ya lay off?" he barked.

"Inuyasha! Be nice!" Kagome scolded suddenly. The hanyou jumped. Right. He forgot the others were with him. Great. He swore, if Kagome used one of those damn sit commands on him…

This time, he was thankful for Etsuko's interruption as she placed a hand on Kaguya's shoulder and said quickly, "These are Inuyasha's friends. Guys, this is Kaguya. Introduce yourselves. Please."

It didn't take long for Inuyasha to realize that the sweet and well-mannered Kaguya was a stark contrast from the stubborn and slightly boorish Etsuko (though each girl had her moments of switching personalities it seemed) and the hanyou wondered how in the hell the two could become such close friends without driving the other up a wall (in fact, how in the hell did Sesshomaru even _tolerate _Etsuko hanging around humans? You know, back when he still cared about her). The day wore on as the group wandered the city examining its overall health, Amaterasu pausing now and then to purify the trees or the water, or anything that was still scarred from the plague. Towards sunset, they found themselves sitting outside a teashop, everyone taking turns to chat. Etsuko sat between Inuyasha and Kaguya, with Issun atop her head. She held her head in her hands, elbows resting on her knees. The hanyou couldn't help but notice how quiet she had become as the day drew to a close, nor could he ignore the dark flush of her cheeks that only ceased whenever Issun hopped over to someone else's head or otherwise ignored her when he was engaged in someone else's company.

She only spoke up to break the silence after Kaguya finished her tale of lost memories and a bizarre vision in the midst of the bamboo grove in Sasa Sanctuary.

"Kaga, how in the hell is that idea even going to work?" she snapped suddenly, catching everyone by surprise. "I don't mean to be rude but, one: You have to have special reservations to even enter the sanctuary grounds without getting in trouble and that place is expensive! You know how hard it was for your grandfather to get into the groves in order to cut the bamboo shoots, and he owns that grove now! And two: What about this city? I mean, sure, you can go wherever you want but it's dangerous to travel alone and we still need to see the queen. Granted, that's another task in itself, but the entire population was nearly wiped out and she did absolutely nothing to stop it. The least she can do is accept our visit, and I'm not comfortable leaving until this is settled, but I'm also not comfortable letting you wander around the countryside alone."

Kaguya listened intently to her friend's explanation, and though she looked to deflate slightly at Etsuko's logic, she nodded her head and agreed, "You have a point, Koko. I don't know how to get into Sasa Sanctuary, but I suppose if you are able to speak with the queen, then the latter shall be possible as well. I will come with you to see her highness, so long as you guide me to where I need to be. Does that sound fair?"

Etsuko nodded her hand, the plan almost sounded as if it could work, but those who didn't just have a close call with the demon who plagued this city knew better. "I hate to burst your bubble, girls, but seeing Queen Himiko is out of the question," Inuyasha groaned. The girl in response jumped, her eyes wide with confusion. The wolf even tilted her head and let out a confused whine.

Sango nodded her head and added, "he's right, Etsuko. While you guys were in the emperor's palace, we went to request permission to speak with the queen and the guards said that she is refusing all visitors until further notice. Even after the fog lifted, her attendants said that Himiko would be in her quarters alone in prayer for the next several days. There's nothing else we can do but wait until then."

"Well, we could always see Priestess Rao, I believe she was taking the queen's requests until she opened the palace doors," Miroko added thoughtfully. Inuyasha cringed at the blush on the monk's face. Pervert…he just wanted to see her—

"_NO!_" Sango, Kagome, Etsuko, and Amaterasu all leapt onto their feet and screamed in defiance at the same time. The men all jumped and shrunk a little at the irritated looks on the women's faces as Kaguya all stared at the exchange feeling horribly confused. Inuyasha knew why Sango and Kagome were protesting the pervert's suggestion, but Etsuko and the wolf…?

"You lecherous monk!" Sango snapped as she slapped Miroko across the face. Hard.

"Have some respect, Miroko! We all know why _you_ want to go see her," Kagome crossed her arms angrily. Miroko laughed nervously and held his hands up in defeat.

"Ladies, please! I only have the kindest of intentions, I swear!" he pleaded, but Shippo called his bluff.

"That's what he said when he asked Rao to bear his children…" the kitsune mumbled.

This time, it was Amaterasu's turn to speak. However which way she communicated, that is. _It is a good suggestion on the monk's part, but I fear that I must speak with Queen Himiko directly. She knows a great deal more about the happenings in Sei-an than Rao does. Besides…there is something strange with that priestess._

Etsuko let out a growl and a disgruntled mumble but Inuyasha couldn't make out the words as she shifted her weight and leaned her chin against one hand while propping her knee up.

"Well, it might not be a _bad _idea to see Rao, I mean—GAGH!" Issun began but Etsuko was quick to reach up and flick the bug off her head with her fingers.

"Shut it, Issun!" she snapped coldly. "We all know why _you_ want to see Rao. And I hate to break it to you, but the whole size thing isn't really working out for you when it comes to ladies."

Inuyasha wasn't sure why, but Etsuko seemed _really_ forlorn by her own remark.

He groaned as he sat up on the bench beside Etsuko but quickly began hopping angrily, snapping, "Say that again!"

Sango cleared her throat then. "Anyway! My point is that we can't do anything more for these people until Queen Himiko opens her doors and that could take several days. We might as well help out Kaguya and come back at the end of the week."

"Okay," Etsuko nodded her head, still skeptical. "But that brings me back to my first point. I don't know about you guys, but I'm broke."

Everyone fell silent at that and looked down.

"You're right, Etsuko," Kaguya sighed. "What was I thinking?"

"That you want to find your family," Etsuko placed a gentle hand on her friend's shoulder. "It's alright, I understand. Sorry to be the one to crush your hopes though…"

_I wouldn't be so willing to give up if I were you_, Amaterasu stated suddenly. All eyes turned to the wolf that now had a mischievous gleam in her eye. Her tail began wagging as she continued, _Etsuko, you weren't traveling with us at the time, but Issun and I did a favor for the Sparrow Clan and have since gained free access to the sanctuary. We could get you all in. Or at least some of you. _

It was so quiet you could hear a pin drop as all jaws fell open.

"You've got to be kidding," were the first words that came out of Inuyasha's mouth. Just what else did this wolf have up her sleeve?

Kaguya suddenly leapt to her feet and squealed as she wrapped her arms tightly around Amaterasu's neck as she rambled continuous phrases of gratitude. Issun hopped onto Kaguya's head and started accepting the thank you's on his companion's behalf and taking the opportunity to throw out a few flirtatious comments, causing the girl to giggle lightly. The exchange got an almost immediate reaction out of Etsuko as the dog demon suddenly let out a frustrated growl and a snarl in the bug's direction as she leapt to her feet and stormed off, heading towards the exit of the city. The group eventually followed her and spent the night along the coast, not wanting to pay for lodging, but even still, the dog demon kept her distance from her usual traveling companions—mostly Issun. The bug spent most of the night attempting to apologize for something he didn't know he did, and occasionally he would get Etsuko talking again, but one overzealous compliment or flirtatious remark to one of the girls sent the pup growling and biting all over again.

The exchange almost reminded Inuyasha of Miroko and Sango…

Inuyasha shook his head. No. That was crazy. Etsuko was…well, Etsuko and it appeared that Issun was about as ignorant as Shippo when it came to women, even when he did act perverted now and then. But still, Inuyasha began to wonder what happened beyond the Emperor's walls that caused such a shift in the two's dynamics. The curiosity getting the better of him, Inuyasha took a moment later on in the evening to sit beside Amaterasu. The wolf wagged her tail as a greeting but Inuyasha wasted no time with formalities as he leaned over and asked, "What's wrong with those two?" He pointed over to the pair who was now fighting _again_ as Kaguya tried in vain to calm them down. Ammy watched intently as Issun's series of smart-alek comments spun out of control and Etsuko's snarls became more and more outraged before she let out a loud growl and stomped off with Kaguya trailing behind her, making light jokes to distract her from the situation. Just like Kagome does for Sango about every day.

Eventually, Ammy's ears flattened and she let out a long breath and replied, _Fate, apparently. But those two are so stubborn only time will tell if it shall work or not._

"The hell are you talking about?" Inuyasha asked, horribly confused. Amaterasu looked up at him, her golden eyes sparkling with wonder.

_Can you not see it, Inuyasha?_ She asked him. The hanyou merely shook his head. The wolf 's lips curled and she let out a playful yip, which he guessed was meant as a laugh before she continued,_ The red thread connects them, dear hanyou. _

"Red thread?" Inuyasha found himself asking. "What red thread?"

Amaterasu cocked her head to the side, _You know. The red thread. It comes of as a children's tale most often but it is real just the same. You cannot see it with your earth-bound sight, but surely you recognize the signs. They are two halves to one entity._

Inuyasha looked back over at Etsuko and Kaguya, and then back to Issun who was in the midst of swooning Kagome and showing off his paintings. So the bug was an artist now? Impressive. He looked back over to his niece whose form visibly tense and Inuyasha could barely make out Kaguya's light voice whispering, "Don't take it too personally, he's just social is all!"

The remark was shortly followed up by a stubborn, "I don't know what you're talking about!"

"So…are you talking about…you can't seriously be talking about _romance_ can you?" Inuyasha asked incredulously. Something about that had a really fowl taste on his tongue. When he saw the serious look in Amaterasu's eyes, the hanyou shuddered and tried to figure out how in the hell that would ever work, his hand subconsciously lifting his hand and positioning his thumb and index finger as if to measure something very small. "But…size…"

Amaterasu let out another yip. _Oh, that is but a temporary and minor inconvenience! Fate has a way of guiding two bonded individuals through bumps in the road in order to strengthen a friendship. Besides, Issun is technically taller than Etsuko. Maybe even a little taller than you._

"You're kidding," Inuyasha spat. That bug? Taller than him? Ha!

But the wolf didn't seem to hear the hanyou. Her golden eyes narrowed and her demeanor darkened all the sudden as she whispered, _Although I am concerned about the path the red thread is leading them down. If they don't accept Fate soon…_

"What?" Inuyasha's ears perked up at the remark before flattening against his head. What was she talking about?

Amaterasu almost immediately snapped out of her trance and shook herself. _Oh nothing! Just thinking about the days ahead is all! In any case, I will bid you a goodnight, Inuyasha. I shall see you at the sun's rise._

"Yeah, you too," the hanyou muttered. Everyone began to settle for the night, and as the fire died and the world began to fall into a slumber filled with dreams, Inuyasha couldn't bring himself to even close his eyes.

The wolf knew something about Etsuko's future that he didn't. He did not like that fact. Not one bit. Sun god or not, Inuyasha was going to beat the information out of that puny wolf if it was the last thing he'd ever do.

Because that was his niece, dammit!

* * *

**Etsuko**

Aside from my father and I, the Sparrows of Sasa Sanctuary were the only demons permitted in Nippon's barrier before Orochi was revived. And my gods were they wealthy. And, I know, I know. My father is Lord of the West which technically makes me his heir, which technically makes me some sort of princess but that still didn't change the fact that I was a broke fish out of water when we walked through the doors of that inn.

And it really didn't help that the Sparrows all knew who I was as soon as I set foot in the door. The reaction wasn't immediate, in fact, there were several sparrows who told us off for bringing demons into their establishment, and it was late afternoon before someone finally recognized the markings on Ammy, and the young female sparrow who did notice began apologizing frantically for their mistake, offering room accommodations for the night.

And then she turned her head up at me.

"Tell me, fair demon," she chirped, hopping around me in circles, "why is it that your sunset eyes reflect no light?"

I fidgeted awkwardly and shrugged. "Dunno," I lied.

The sparrow cocked her head to the sight and shook her feathers lightly, her head swiveling in jerky movements. I couldn't help but notice the question catch the attention of other nearby sparrows. And then one robust looking bird buried in priestly robes came bouncing towards us, his beak agape.

"Can it be?" he chirped. "Oh it must be so, the gods have blessed us lowly sparrow demons on this glorious day! First our princess Chun is returned to us thanks to our heavenly wolf, and then you, oh mighty Amaterasu restore the water in our hotspring before going off to vanquish the dreaded Orochi. And now that the air of Sei-an has been purified you grace us with your presence once again! And you, my fair demon, I would recognize those facial markings anywhere! But your eyes, are they unseeing as well? Can it be that you are Princess Etsuko?"

Suddenly all alarm bells went off, screaming in my head. Inuyasha spat out a laugh but struggled his mouth shut once again when he received a swift tug of the ear form Kagome. All other eyes turned to me in awe and I cringed, disgusted by the word. "_Princess?_"

The sparrow flitted giddily hopping about like a mad man, chirping excitedly as more sparrows came hopping over to see what the commotion was about. "Alas! Our beloved Heir to the West has returned to us! It is a miracle yes it is! I had heard rumors that you perished in Kamiki years ago, and when the Great Lord Sesshomaru left the boundaries of Nippon I thought our humble inn would be lost to the West for good! But miracles do happen and, Princess Etsuko, I welcome you back home with open arms and only the greatest of hospitality!"

In the middle of his banter I sputtered and struggled to spit out words of protest to interrupt him, but nothing more than strangled noises could escape my mouth. _What_?

I think everyone in our group was too dumbfounded to make a smartass remark towards me after that. Kaguya, however, broke the silence when she giggled, "Koko, I didn't know your father was a Lord. Why didn't you tell me?"

I merely stood there, screaming internally while my mouth managed to croak, "because of…_this_."

Suddenly the all of the sparrows gathered with several chairs before they scooped me, Ammy, and Kaguya all up in one and a smaller group of birds all lifted Inuyasha up and bounced him around, carrying him so his weight was spread out across all six of them and ran him around the inn as if to celebrate. I was too busy screaming and trying to stay on the damn chair they were carrying me on to laugh at my uncle's predicament.

"HEY! Put me down!" I yelped, but the sparrows didn't seem to give a crap. They ran up the stairs and into one of the suites before they dumped us on the floor and before I had time to reorient myself and sit up, the attendants in the room managed to set a dinner table with plates, silverware, and a full three course meal while make up enough beds for everyone to stay the night. I looked from Ammy and Issun to Kaguya and back, feeling horribly confused. The others arrived to the room in awe shortly after before Inuyasha was finally dumped in the room, landing with a miserable thud.

"What the hell was that all about?" he growled at me, shoving his face in mine. It was all I could do to shrug and shake my head frantically.

"I don't know!" I squeaked, but before I could say more, one of the female attendants hopped up to me and cleared her throat politely.

"Pardon the interruption, My Lady," she chirped—she was the most polite one out of this crazy flock, "but my master Jamba wishes to know if these arrangements are to your liking."

I observed the room. It was _huge_. Bigger than my old home in Kamiki even, and by far fancier. Father had told me stories about how his father and mother each lived in a palace during their time (his mother still did, but I hadn't exactly met Grandmother yet. By the stories he told, I wasn't even sure I wanted to) that could dwarf even the Sparrow Inn, but he boarded up his father's old home after his passing and left without a second glance. I figured the rich life wasn't his style and though he had the mannerisms, etiquette, and overall training that could make human feudal lords look like complete slobs, he preferred to live the life of a wanderer. And his daughter didn't even inherit a fraction of his table manners. End result: I didn't go to a whole lot of demon social functions. Hell, I could barely make it through Kamiki Festival every year without causing some sort of commotion. It was rough. Heir or not, I was a fish out of water, so, like every other time I find myself in the wrong place, I faked it.

"It's…very nice, thank you," I stuttered, sitting up on my knees and straightening my back, imitating my father. "Though, I apologize as we did not come to stay at this inn. We actually seek the Bamboo Grove outside the bath house, if that is alright."

The sparrow chirped in alarm, her wings flapping nervously. "Oh! Goodness me! I am so sorry for the mistake, my princess! Unfortunately, the grove is closed tonight for we are landscaping tonight. I assure you that the grove will be open first thing in the morning. You can spend the night and we will cater to your every need until then, is that satisfactory, My Lady?"

Oh great, you mean I actually had to behave this whole night? Come _on!_ I turned my head and waited for the others to respond. Issun bounced impatiently and snapped, "We don't have time for this!" but Kaguya was quick to clasp her hands around the bug before he could dish out any insult.

_We aren't in any particular rush at the moment, so long as Kaguya is fine with waiting, I do not mind,_ Ammy shrugged, her tail wagging.

"Yeah!" Shippo chimed in. "I've never stayed in a fancy place like this before!"

"Kaguya?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. Kaga in response giggled softly.

"I do not mind either. We are here and we have access to the grove, what is one more night? Besides, thanks to you, we have VIP access and I cannot turn that up," she stated. My eye twitched. She was just rubbing that in now.

Ignoring the snickers from my comrades (namely, Inuyasha), I turned back to the sparrow and nodded. "This is perfect, thank you," I said. The attendant chirped enthusiastically and bowed.

"Thank you so much for understanding, my gracious Etsuko, we will make the grove available as soon as we are able. And also I extend my gratitude to Lady Amaterasu once again for saving Miss Chun and gracing us with your heavenly presence once again. The dinner and the room we have presented you is free of charge and all of our accommodations will be on the house. The bathhouse is down stairs, we have several hot springs for men and women if you would like to relax and if the food provided is not enough or not satisfactory, feel free to call room service. You may also contact me if there is anything else," the sparrow bowed before she fluttered her wings and left the room.

"Well," Kagome finally said, "this worked out well."

"You're telling me," Sango agreed. "Amaterasu said that they could get us in, but I had no idea that they would be this hospitable. Are they sure they don't want us to pay anything?"

"Perhaps we should at least tip them?" Kaguya offered. She turned her head towards me as if to await an answer but I merely clenched my fists and sat stiffly on my knees.

As I expected, Inuyasha began snickering and barked, "Did they just call you a _princess_? HA! As if!"

"Shut it, Inuyasha," I growled in response.

"My apologies, your highness, I do not mean to offend," Inuyasha mocked. He even stood up and bowed obnoxiously for emphasis. "But seriously, did Sesshomaru like, come here when he needed his daily dose of hero worship or something?"

"I don't know," I groaned, smacking my hand to my face. "He never took me to this place and when I did come it was with Kaguya and her grandfather and I didn't bother setting foot in a rich establishment like that!"

"Why? Afraid you'd break something?" Inuyasha barked back. I crossed my arms and gave a nasty glare, hoping it was in the right direction.

"Obviously. Where do you think I got my manners? Not from _him, _you barbaric moron!" I snapped back. My uncle, in response, jumped in surprise before he let out a nasty growl and grasped hold of Tetsusaiga.

"Take that back, you little mutt!" he growled. I leapt to my feet and got in his face, allowing my bangle to transform from a bracelet to a blade.

"Make me!" I barked.

The monk was the one to dispel the argument as he stood between us and lifted his hands as if to offer peace. "Okay! Okay, you two. Shall we go one night without ripping each other's throats out?"

Inuyasha crossed his arms hastily and turned is nose away. I let out a growl and turned the blade back into the bracelet that now resting on my right wrist before I grabbed one of the bathrobes and towels sitting at the door and stomped out of the room.

"Hey Pup!" Issun called after me, "Where ya going?"

"None of your business!" I spat back before I slammed the door shut. I stomped down the hall and found my way to the massive stairs, but when I noticed how nervous the sparrows around me got upon seeing my angry behavior, I toned down my saunter, trying to maneuver gracefully down the steps of Sasa Sanctuary and trying desperately to look pleasant and well-mannered around these birds. It wasn't working too well, but they weren't one to question a dog demon thankfully.

I stepped off the wood flooring of the lobby and my foot hit a stone pathway as I wandered towards the hot springs. I pushed past a curtain where I was greeted by several more sparrows.

"Welcome to Sasa Sancutary Hot Springs!" he said. "The women's changing area is to your right and that leads directly to three of our most relaxing pools!"

I bowed politely to the sparrow and made my way towards the changing room. I placed my clothes in one of the bins, took the ribbon out of my hair, and wrapped the towel snuggly around my body before walking out to the hot springs. I searched for the one with the shallowest water so I could at least see the bottom of the pool and carefully slid in, placing the towel on the ledge behind me, then leaned my head back and closed my eyes. Ah, it was so relaxing…

And then the others showed up. It couldn't have been more than five minutes when I sensed them walk into the main area of the bathhouse. I shuttered at the thought of having to cover myself up, but was relieved when the sparrows directed the men to a separate changing area and group of pools.

But I still had to associate with people. And frankly, I was too cranky for that.

"Hey! Etsuko!" Kagome called out. I groaned and sunk deeper into the pool until half my head was submerged. Exhaling deeply, bubbles rose to the surface around me.

"Koko, are you still upset about earlier?" Kaguya asked as she slid in next to me. I lifted my head out of the water to breathe but said nothing and crossed my arms. Kagome and Sango sat down on the other side of me while Ammy curled up on the ledge behind me. I turned my head to the wolf, confused.

"You aren't getting in?" I asked. Ammy's ears flattened.

_I…don't always like bathing…_ she grumbled. I rolled my eyes

"You mean you don't like swimming," I corrected and the wolf jumped, her fur standing on end.

_Etsuko!_ She whined. _I'm not that bad of a swimmer, okay!_

"The water dragon almost ate us," I pointed out and Ammy lowered her head.

_I'm a wolf, not a fish…_ she grumbled, causing the rest of us to laugh. I reached my arm out of the water and scratched the top of her head, between the ears. Ammy responded with a tail wag.

"I'm just teasing ya," I joked. "Besides, look how well I do out in open water and I'm sitting here just fine! This is a pretty shallow pool and the water's perfect. Come on! Jump in!"

"Yeah, Amaterasu," Kagome added. "We're all girls here, jump on in!"

"You can sit beside me, there's a good seat here," Kaguya chimed in, gesturing to the spot on the other side of her. Ammy shifted her head nervously before she stood and carefully wandered over to where Kaguya was pointing. She dipped a paw in the water before she slowly (and rather clumsily) hopped in, creating a splash big enough to drench us all. She disappeared from my sight for a moment before she finally found the ground and pulled herself up onto the seat beside Kaguya and shook herself frantically while coughing. I too inhaled some water and began hacking as I instinctively leapt to my feet and took a few steps away from the others, wading in the water as I tried to cough up the water in my lungs.

* * *

**Issun**

"Dammit, monk, this is a bad idea," Issun groaned as he road atop Miroku's head. "Etsuko can see everything, we're bound to get caught!"

For once, Issun didn't even want to bother peeping, but no, this stupid monk just _had _to get his daily dose of boobs in or something. And he wanted a buddy to go along with him. Back at the pool they were sitting in, it didn't seem to be as bad of an idea as it was now that they were scaling the rock walls and crawling on top of the rafters of the women's dressing room.

He was going to die.

And not because the rafters weren't meant to support a person's weight. Oh no, bamboo was a sturdy building material. They even opened up to a nice rocky edge that overlooked the pools on the other side of the room and the plants that grew atop the ledge as decoration served as the perfect visual shield for them. But that would do little to protect them from Pup's sight.

And when she noticed them, she would _murder them_. Mercilessly.

The first thing Issun noticed when he dared to look down into the pools, however, was not the whiles of women, but rather the fact that Furball was attempting to jump into the water. And she made a pretty big splash too. One big enough to drench Etsuko and she retracted from the wave and stood up, coughing and hacking.

And she was…she was…oh wow…

"Hm. Not entirely what I was expecting," Miroku observed, almost disappointed. "A little too masculine for my taste, but she is a demon I suppose."

Issun wanted to turn and rip the tongue right out of the monk's mouth. Not what he was expecting? Dude! She was perfect! And the red markings along her body…he knew about the crescent on her forehead and the stripes on either cheek wrist. But the two pairs of markings that were drawn from the bottoms of her shoulder blades, down her rib cage and ending at the top of her hip were a shade darker and outlined her bosom so…perfectly!

Suddenly, the blush on Issun's cheeks became unbearable and the poncle was almost embarrassed to be checking Etsuko out. What Issun once thought was shameless fun completely and utterly humiliated him as he realized the disrespect he was dealing his friend. He was disgusted with himself and wanted nothing more than to turn back and forget he had ever seen anything. But a combination between the astonishment that Etsuko hadn't noticed them yet and the curiosity for the conversation that followed kept the poncle at bay.

"Those are some nice abs, Koko, are you training to be a messenger like Ida or something?" Kaguya joked. Issun peered over to watch as Pup yelped and covered her chest, sinking quickly into the water.

"Oh shut it!" she snapped back. "I can't help it!"

"I was only joking," Kaguya replied sympathetically. "Besides, I would kill to have a figure like yours. You're so strong and your endurance is amazing."

"And which one of us had suitors following her every which way when we were younger?" Etsuko retorted. She sat back in her spot between Bamboo Girl and Kagome, leaning her head back against the edge of the pool. Kaguya looked away with a faint blush in response.

"There were boys who liked you too," she mumbled half-heartedly. "And they were all stupid anyway!"

"That's very true," Etsuko agreed. "But let's face it, there isn't a man on this planet who would even _look _at me."1

"Oh don't start this again, Koko" Kaguya ordered, splashing the water with her hands in a small fit. "Ever since we were little when ever the topic of any boy came up you would always stomp around saying 'this Etsuko will never fall in love! Blah blah blah!' but I don't think that's true! You really are pretty, and maybe if you acted like it the boy that you like would finally come out of hiding!"

"How am I supposed to act like I'm pretty when I can't even look in a mirror?" Etsuko snapped back. Issun groaned internally. Did he _not_ just have the same conversation with Pup a few days ago? The demon's form then stiffened suddenly and her eyes narrowed in deep thought before she turned her head back to Kaguya and asked, "what boy?"

Suddenly three girls and a wolf all swarmed in and surrounded Etsuko with mischievous yet all knowing smiles on their faces.

"Oh, come now, Etsuko," Sango grinned. "I know that blush anywhere and you've been acting more self-conscious lately. Are you sure there isn't someone?"

Etsuko sunk deeper into the water but otherwise said nothing.

"Come on, Etsuko! Spill it!" Kagome cheered, shaking Pup lightly by the shoulders. The two women stood up and Miroku suddenly wriggled excitedly.

"Dear friends or not, I never get tired of seeing such flawless figures!" he whispered over to Issun. "And Sango…"

"Just marry her already, will ya you shameless monk?" Issun rolled his eyes, trying hard to focus on the conversation. Etsuko? Had feelings for someone? But who?

"Like I said before," Etsuko said in a low voice, "No man in his right mind would _ever_ want to bet with me, and I figured that out a long time ago. I'm not someone who can fall in love."

The smiles all but fell with the silence that responded. Slowly, Kagome asked, almost sounding heart broken, "you can't say that no man has ever told you that you were pretty, can you?"

Etsuko opened her mouth with an almost immediate reply, but then her head tilted downward and her eyes softened suddenly, her cheeks turning a dark pink. "Well…there was one…"

There was a loud splash and all girls present crowded in on Etsuko, waiting for a once in a lifetime confession. "_Who_?"

But Etsuko shook her head in almost immediate defeat, "It doesn't matter. I'm not his type anyway…he prefers the more..._pleasing-_looking women anyway. I don't fill the shoes of the woman he needs."

Kaguya advanced even further on Etsuko and asked, "But _who_? At least tell me what he looks like!"

Etsuko turned her head upwards thoughtfully and Issun found himself leaning closer and closer to the edge, awaiting her answer. Who was this bastard that stole Pup's heart anyway? And where could he clobber the mongrel? Wait a minute…what was he thinking? He didn't care about Pup's romantic affairs!

"I can't tell you what he looks like," Etsuko said sadly. "But the way he saunters around…he's a confident individual and is proud of what he does. He doesn't exactly know when to stop talking sometimes and he can be the single-most annoying little—" she held her tongue suddenly before she could say more, and closed her eyes stiffly, as if she were trying to push back thoughts of mystery man that she'd rather not focus on. "In any case, there are times when he drives me insane and there are other times…well…there are times when I look up at him and I think: that's someone with a passion and a drive that could get him anywhere. That is the making of a true man. That's someone who, no matter how dark my world is, when I hear him speak and let out his cocky little laugh, I know that everything is right in the world."

Etsuko spoke as if she were in a dreamlike state and wore the most pleasant smile, but as silence fell so did her grin and she looked as if she had been stabbed in the back. Issun even had to sit back at that, his mind caught in a daze. Something about the person she spoke of rang a bell of familiarity yet at the same time he couldn't figure out for the life of him who this person was or what the feelings that welled up from deep within his chest were.

Kaguya seemed to be the only one unaffected by Etsukos speech as she patted her friend on the back and stated, "Koko! You're in love! Why don't you just say something to him?"

Pup let out a strangled squeal at that statement and shrieked, "What? No! There's no way in hell that it would work out between us! No matter what I think of him! I don't even know if this _is _love, I've never felt it before!"

"Does your heart race in your chest whenever you see him?" Kagome asked quickly.

Etsuko's unseeing eyes shifted frantically as she stuttered, "…yeah…kind of."

"Do you struggle to find the right words to say when he's around?" Kaguya then asked.

"I struggle saying anything to any one," Etsuko retorted.

"Do you hate seeing him with other women?" Sango asked sounding the most sincere. "Do you want to strangle him for flirting with everyone around you but feel the most at ease when his attention is solely on you and wish that it could stay that way?"

Issun snickered, figuring that was a jab at Miroku's antics and Kagome almost started to say something to the demon slayer but Etsuko paused for a moment and stated, "Yes. More than anything. I just want him to notice me. I want to…mean something to him…something special, you know?"

Once again, Issun slumped back where he sat. The thought of Etsuko feeling unloved by someone most dear to her became a pang in his chest he didn't know could exist. Not a situation like her and her father—that was entirely different and thought it still hurt him to see her as miserable as she was regarding that fact, there was something about her words in that moment that made Issun feel as if he were responsible for her hidden emotions, but he didn't understand why.

The girls surrounding her all stared at Etsuko with wide yet approving eyes and Etsuko shifted awkwardly in the silence. "What?"

_Etsuko, _Ammy began, doggie paddling closer to the girl, _I think I know the man you speak of. He is someone I have met before, is he not?_

Etsuko's face turned bright red and her eyes widened in near shock, but she couldn't utter more than a few strangled noises. The wolf let out a yip in place of a laugh.

_What if I told you that, though he may not yet realize it, you are the only woman he will ever see?_

Etsuko shook her head in confusion, "And by that you mean…?"

_Give your feelings a chance,_ Ammy stated, _and tell him what you told us, how you feel about him. He won't turn you away. In fact, he might have heard your call already._

Issun cocked his head to the side. Okay, Furball was hanging with that half-baked prophet too much. Even she was starting to sound a little cryptic. But then the wolf did something really freaky. She lifted her head in Issun's direction. And looked him dead in the eye. And winked at him. She then nudged the air with her nose as if to motion for him to leave and when only when Issun looked up did he notice the veil of mist that surrounded him. The steam from the hot springs was thick, but this thick of a mist had to have come from Ammy's brush. Did she—she she help them peep? That conniving fleabag! He should be thanking her!

The mist started to dissipate and Etsuko jumped, fully alert as she sniffed the air. She could tell something was watching them but she was not yet able to sense them.

"Come on, Monk, let's go before Etsuko notices us," the poncle whispered sternly and Miroku was not unwise to head the warning. Issun rode atop Miroku's head as they crawled back to where they were supposed to be and found Inuyasha and Shippo both asleep.

The whole way, Issun couldn't help but wonder. Why would Ammy let them sneak in to the women's hot springs? Sure her preference could be questionable now and then, but even she wouldn't approve of Issun peeping. And what she said to Pup about Mystery Man…could it be that she wanted Issun to hear what Etsuko had to say?

As the night wore onto morning, his answer wasn't even close to coming to him and he was silent for most of the trek through the bamboo grove. He occasionally lifted his gaze from Ammy's snout to Etsuko and Kaguya who led the group, chatting wildly like most girls do the entire way. Issun rode atop Ammy's head and they followed close behind. The others stayed in the hotel room and decided to meet up after Kaguya had found what she was looking for. When the girls stopped suddenly, Issun looked up to find Kaguya's face had paled and she held her hands over her mouth as she took a hesitant step towards an old man who was chopping bamboo shoots and sorting them into piles.

"Hey! It's the bamboo cutter!" Issun said, hopping from Ammy's head to Etsuko's. Mr. Bamboo dropped his knife and ran up to Kaguya with amazing speed for a man his age.

"Kaguya? Is that really you?" he cheered. "The gods be praised! I thought I'd never see you again after the Emperor suddenly called you to Sei-an! Oh, Kaguya…my dear Kaguya…"

Kaguya's lip quivered lightly as she ran up to Mr. Bamboo and placed a gently hand on his shoulder. "It feels like ages since we last met, Grandfather," she said, "My, look how many new wrinkles you have! Have I worried you so?"

Issun watched as Kaguya fought to maintain her composure but instead broke out into tears, embracing her grandfather tightly as the two cried tears of joy. He sighed heavily…to have a loving grandfather embrace you…

But Mr. Bamboo was too eager to start dreaming of a future that would never come, "Oh, Kaguya! Let us live together happily ever after! We could sell my bamboo ware, just you and me!"

And suddenly reality kicked in for Kaguya. "What?" she jumped, her tears drying quickly and her face flushing in a panic. "Oh! Um…"

Mr. Bamboo looked up at Kaguya with concern, his form visibly trembling, "What's the matter Kaguya? Do you have to return to the Emperor?"

Kaguya shook her head, "No, that's not it…it's just…" Bamboo girl took a long breath and pursed her lips tightly, readying herself to deliver the worst news Issun knew that her grandfather would ever hear. The exchange was getting a little too familiar for him. "Grandfather…I'm afraid I can no longer live with you."

"What?" the bamboo cutter asked, tears welling up in his eyes, "What are you talking about, Kaguya? You aren't eloping or running away from something, are you?"

"I didn't know you were here, grandfather," Kaguya admitted. "If I did I wouldn't have come right away. It would've been better for you if we had not met before I departed."

"Departed?" Mr. Bamboo asked in a frenzy, "Where are you going?"

"I'm not sure," the blonde girl stated, "but the Royal Crest carved in the earth here in Sasa Sanctuary has been calling to me! There is something beneath the earth that holds the secrets of my past and I must find it!"

Kaguya then lifted her hands as if in a trance and a soft light emitted from her body before the earth in front of her caved in and formed a hole. Without even thinking, the girl jumped in.

"Wh-Hey!" Etsuko cried out, lunging towards where Kaguya once stood. "Oh shit, she doesn't even know what's down there!"

Mr. Bamboo jumped and let out a small cry of anguish, "Oh! My poor Kaguya! What has gotten into her? Etsuko, is that really you! Please tell me there is something you can do to help her!"

Etsuko's face was pale by this point and her eyes wide. All she could do was stutter, "I-I can try but I don't even know what she's digging for, but there's some sort of cavern beneath this earth but if she's not careful and I'm not sure I trust it. Ammy, Issun, we need to go after her!"

"Right behind ya, come on, Furball!" Issun declared and the three leapt into the hole after Kaguya.

* * *

**Etsuko**

What we found under the earth was nothing short of astonishing. We had to dig through several layers of ground, but when we struck the top of the gigantic metal bamboo shoot it practically unearthed itself and lifted out of the hole as if it possessed its own will. And within the bamboo shoot were so many rooms. It looked almost as if it were intended for travel.

Issun's mouth was agape and he bounced frantically from my head to Ammy's and back, asking, "B-Bamboo Girl! What the heck is this? It's like some bamboo shoot only metal and insanely huge!"

"And nicely furnished inside," I added. Issun turned his head towards me and I imagined he gave me the most incredulous facial expression.

"This…" Kaguya breathed, "This is what was calling me. It's the link to my past!"

Kaga let out an excited squeal and took my hand. Her palm was sweaty and I could tell she was nervous, but I knew that this was a moment she had been waiting for for quite some time. I gave her a pat on the shoulder and a small hug of reassurance, but I couldn't help but notice Mr. Bamboo's shaking form.

"Kaguya," he whimpered and my heart sank. I knew this must have been hard for the old man. His wife had passed a few years ago and life just wasn't the same for him after that. But what he said caught me completely off guard, "I knew this bamboo shoot was buried here in Sasa Sanctuary."

All eyes turned to the old man and we simultaneously asked, "What?" in pure disbelief.

Mr. Bamboo's form deflated completely as he explained, "One day, many years ago I cam here to cut down some bamboo when suddenly this giant bamboo shoot appeared before my eyes! Your cold and nearly lifeless body came tumbling out. Then, this bamboo shoot disappeared back into the ground. You were as cold as ice and barely breathing so I rushed you home where my dearly departed wife and I nursed you back to health. We had always wanted a child. You were like a blessing from the heavens. You brought joy to our lives and I couldn't bring myself to tell you the truth. I feared that if you ever found out you would seek this strange bamboo shoot. I feared that it would take you away from us forever!"

My heart fell heavy as I watched while the elderly bamboo cutter I too had grown to love fell to his knees and continued begging, "Don't go! Kaguya, please don't go!"

I had to wipe my own eyes as I heard Kaguya sniffle, "Grandfather!" She too fell to her knees and they shared a tight embrace, both sobbing. Ammy let out a whine and Issun's shoulders trembled.

Kaguya managed to compose her self and explained, "I always thought of you and dearly departed grandmother as my real family! And that feeling shall never fade. Though I may leave, my heart shall forever remain with you. Remember that! I wish I could stay here with you but I can't. A mysterious force calls me and I must discover where I came from. And don't you worry, I will come back to you, I just need to know. So I beg you, Grandfather dear, see me off with a smile on your face. Please?"

Mr. Bamboo wiped his eyes and nodded, "Okay, I will Kaguya!"

Kaguya nodded her head and turned to face me, "Koko, you were the best friend I could ever ask for. I don't think this is goodbye, but until I return, would you please look out for my grandfather?"

I let out a small laugh and walked up to place a hand on the bamboo cutter's shoulder, "Who else will keep him and Mr. Orange of out of the drinking games during Kamiki Festival? Of course I will, Kaga. And you shall always be my friend, no matter what."

Kaga let out a sweet giggle at that and I couldn't help but smile. One of us had to find their happiness and I was glad it was her. Mr. Bamboo chuckled and took both our hands in his and he stated, "Oh, don't worry about an old man like me. I may be getting on in years but I am fit as a fiddle! Go wherever you may, Kaguya, I only ask that when you get there, you remember one thing: you are my precious grandchild. Never forget that! You are my dearest, most precious grandchild!"

I took a step back so the two could share yet another embrace, but something in my head clicked when I heard the bug behind me sigh.

"His precious grandchild…" Issun muttered with more melancholy in his tone than I ever thought possible. I whipped my head around to face him. He had stopped hopping and was leaning against Ammy's ear, his head turned downwards. When he caught me watching him he jumped and asked, "What?"

I narrowed my eyes. Something didn't sound right with him and I suddenly began to wonder, where did _he _come from? All this time traveling and I had never heard a peep about his home or family. And here I had practically spilled my life story to him and Amaterasu both!

Kaguya interrupted my thoughts when she walked up to us holding a rectangular tablet in her hands. It smelled of smoke but emitted a strange divine aura to it. My friend then said, "Amaterasu, Issun, and especially you Koko, I am forever grateful for what you have done for me. But please accept this as a token of my appreciation. I've heard it is called a Fire Tablet and it grants you the ability to pass through fire without burning. It was the sole link to my past, but now that I am returning home I need it no longer. May it help you in your travels."

I took the tablet on Ammy's behalf into my hands. It was warm to the touch and its weight was strange but as I examined it and thought of what Kaguya said about it, I began to wonder where in the hell my friend could come across such a dangerous artifact. Much less, where in the world she came from that could forge such a tablet. But that question was of no concern at the moment as Kaguya readied herself to climb into the doorway of the giang bamboo shoot.

"Now, it is time for me to depart," she said. "Thank you you two, thank you Koko, and thank you grandfather. I hope we all meet again someday!"

She climbed into the shoot and made it to the top of its interior. There was a spot for her to place her hands and feet, though I did not know for what purpose it served. And then, in just a matter of moments, the bottom of the shoot ignited, spewing out heat and gusts of wind. I had to cover my eyes as my hair was blown about violently. Ammy too turned away, but as the wind and heat intensified, the bamboo shoot lifted off the ground and disappeared from my sight, but I could hear it growing more and more distant as my closest childhood friend traveled to the heavens.

"Goodbye, Kaga," I found myself whispering as I fought back tears of a farewell, "may the wind be at your back and may your journey be safe."

I then turned to Mr. Bamboo who was sobbing quietly and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Is there anything I can do?" I asked him.

But the bamboo cutter being the man he is, he managed a soft chuckle and assured me, "My grandchild is safe and off to become the person she was meant to be. That's all I can ask for. Koko, I just want you to do the same. Continue your travels with your friends. Issun and Amaterasu are a blessing to travel with. I know your father may be gone now, but you will easily find a home with them if you haven't already. So stay with them and you too become happy, okay?"

I had to hold my breath at the mention of my father. How I missed him…I couldn't even process his harsh words to me when we last met, but as far as I concerned he was still gone. He wasn't the man I knew and perhaps…perhaps the old man was right about traveling with my friends. I thought about Issun for a moment. I thought about the words he had said to me the night before our battle with Blight. I thought about all those times they woke me from my nightmares, how Ammy curled up beside me and Issun spoke the most comforting words and eased my slumber. They _were_ a blessing. _He_ was a blessing. And suddenly I remembered the conversation I had had in the hot spring the night before.

I quickly shook my head and smiled at Mr. Bamboo, "Of course I will. But you stay out of trouble too, you hear?"

"I will try," Mr. Bamboo said in a small voice. Knowing full well and understanding his feeling of loss, I bent down and gave him a gentle hug.

"She will return to you, I can promise that," I whispered. "You just have to be patient until then. I careful with the drinking, I'm not carrying you back to Kusa hung over like Father used to have to do at the end of the festival every year. Mr. Orange is a big enough hassle with that ridiculous Konohana Shuffle or whatever it is!"

At that, Mr. Bamboo broke out into a hearty fit of laughter, "I shall drink to my heart's content, missy! Nothing compares to the splendor of Kushi's sake and I will not sell myself short on such a prize!"

I rolled my eyes, "Oh, brother. Well, take care now, sir. I shall see you soon,"

"Indeed, if not sooner, I expect you to be at Kamiki Festival next year," Mr. Bamboo said.

"I will," I waved as we left the grove, the bamboo cutter still looking up at the sky.

We traveled back to Sei-an hoping to find a way of getting in to see Queen Himiko. It was a full day's journey to reach the city and it was mid morning before we left. We were mostly silent on the journey, with the exception of playful banter here and there either between Inuyasha and Shippo or Inuyasha and me. We reached the beaches of Ryoshima Coast by dinner time, but one look at the swelling waves and memory of the Water Dragon quickly dashed all thoughts of fishing, so we continued on to the city and found ourselves an inn within the Commoner's Quarters of the capital. We'd just have to find our way into the palace in the morning.

My mind was too frantic that night for sleep so I eventually slid out of my cot and stepped over the girls and the wolf that were all asleep in our room. I quietly opened the door and hopped onto the roof. To my surprise, I wasn't alone.

"Can't sleep either?" Issun asked. I approached the bug hesitantly and sat down beside him. Per habit, Issun hopped onto my shoulder and we sat in silence for a long while.

And suddenly a question hit me, "How long did it take you to get up here?"

"Bah," Issun spat, "I may be small but I can get around just fine thank you!"

I held back a smirk and guessed, "And hour?"

"Hour and a half," Issun groaned and I couldn't help but giggle. Issun punched my lower jaw gently in response.

"Sorry, I shouldn't be laughing, I had to live a day in your shoes and was completely helpless," I commented and Issun made a series of noises, agreeing completely with the statement. "Anyway, what brought you up here? I'm usually the insomniac here, not you."

"Group got bigger," Issun stated, "Guess we need two insomniacs to keep the ratio. More or less."

"Maybe," I shrugged. "But seriously, Bug. What's up? You've been distracted all day."

The bug was silent and he rested his head in his hands before he let out a heavy sigh and admitted, "That whole conversation between Kaguya and her grandfather. I sort of got to me I guess. I'm not unlike Kaguya. Her experiences are similar to mine."

"What do you mean?" I asked. Issun shrugged but otherwise said nothing. We sat there for a moment before I managed to fight my tongue to ask, "Hey Issun?"

"Yeah?"

"Are there…" I began, struggling to find the right words, "Are there others like you?"

Issun sat up to full alertness, cocking his head to the side. "What do you mean?"

"Well," I began, "Like, your family. I know you mentioned a sister and a grandfather before. Are they like you? Are they your size I mean? No offense, but I've never exactly met people your size before. Well, I've met Flea Demons but never humans that are your size and there's the legend of Shiranui and the Pint-sized Warrior so I was just wondering if he or you are—"

"Well, I'm not human," Issun said abruptly before I could go on any further tangent. He hunched forward with his hands in his lap and turned his head away as he explained, "I'm what's called a Poncle. And yes, my people are all the same size as me. I'm not surprised you haven't seen one of us before. We live in a village called Ponc'tan, contained in a tree trunk deep in the forests of Yoshpet in the Northern Lands of Kamui. Like the Oina Tripe of Wep'keer—a race of humans who can change into animals—we can live as long as demons can but are considered a holy race. Like medians to the Celestial Plain where the gods reside or something. Few Poncles ever leave the village. I think I'm the only one besides the Wandering Artist who has ever left Kamui."

"And the Wandering Artist is…?" I asked. Issun called himself a wandering artist but I had a feeling the one he referred to was a different person entirely.

"He's better known as the Pint-sized Warrior in these parts," Issun explained. "We call him the Wandering Artist back home for obvious reasons."

"Oh," I nodded. I pulled my knees to my chest and hugged my legs tightly. "If you don't mind my asking…what's Ponc'tan like? What's your family like? You mentioned them briefly but…I'm just curious."

Issun let out a heavy sigh and thought on his words before he finally answered, "Well, Ponc'tan, like I said is encased inside this tree trunk in the center of Yoshpet. Typically, Yoshpet is a dangerous and malevolent forest in Kamui. Only the most dangerous creatures reside there and there is a strange pollen that all trees emit that dull the senses of any Oina or other animal and if they stay in there too long the pollen can severely disorient them. In some cases kill them. But if you know the trail, you can come across a clearing that is acres of beautiful flowers and Konohana trees, even in the coldest of winters, not snow falls in this clearing and the blossoms are in perpetual bloom. In the center of that clearing is a tree trunk—Ponc'tan. We made our home there hundreds of years ago and almost every one nowadays trains to be an artist just like the Wandering Artist. I was his top apprentice for a while before I left."

When Issun paused without giving indication of continuing, I prodded, "And your family?"

"Oh boy," Issun groaned, scratching his head. Suddenly, I wanted to disappear, hoping I didn't strike a raw nerve.

"I'm sorry, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to!" I covered my mouth. "I shouldn't even be asking—"

"No, no! It's fine," Issun assured. "I've never actually told anyone about my home so I'm not sure where to start. Well, to begin I have an older sister, Izumi. All children of Ponc'tan dream of becoming an artist though few actually go on to realize that dream. Izumi however, was one of the very few who had no such dream. Her dream was in medicine and she has been studying to become a healer. She should be finishing school here pretty soon if I remember right. I was always the type of younger brother to play pranks on Izumi, but I've always loved her, no matter how much she might want to be rid of my antics for good. Between you and me, she has a terrible taste in men. She got married just before I left and…well, I never liked him, and I secretly didn't want them to get married. There's just something about Masato that rubs me the wrong way. She made me promise her that I wouldn't give him any trouble but…I don't know that I can sit quietly if he ever does her wrong, you know? Anyway, our parents died when I was a little boy, so our grandfather, Ishaku raised us. He was very strict, especially when it came to our studies. He just wanted what was best for us and I don't think I ever appreciated what he was trying to do for me. But the old man and Sis…they're everything to me…"

Issun trailed off and I felt a lump form in my chest. "Your home sounds beautiful," I commented.

"It really is. I mean, Nippon is a gorgeous place—especially Hana Valley, I think the Guardian Sapling there is one of my favorite places but there's nothing like sitting at the waterfall on the Eastern side of Ponc'tan to paint while you let the scent of morning dew fill your lungs," Issun leaned back along my shoulder, outstretching his arms as he sighed contently.

"Your family sounds very nice as well," I continued. "Will I ever get to meet them?"

"Well, so long as you don't let the pollen get to ya during the trip through Yoshpet, Pup," Issun joked. He then paused for a moment and then added, "Though, if you really wanted to meet my grandfather and sister, they would be thrilled to meet you. If I ever go back to Ponc'tan, it'd mean a lot to me if you would come."

"Of course," I answered. But something about his words didn't sit right. "What do you mean by 'if'? Don't you miss your family?"

"Well…yeah, but I'm not sure I would be…oh, never mind," Issun groaned, shaking his head quickly. He then sat up quickly and hopped off me as if to return to bed.

"Issun, what's wrong?" I asked. "What did I say?"

"It's nothing, Pup," Issun snapped back in a sour tone. He then caught his tongue and sighed, softening his voice and repeated, "It's nothing…"

"Issun," I sighed. I crossed my legs and hugged myself, trying to find the right words to say, but all that could escape my throat was, "Why did you leave?"

That seemed to catch the poncle off guard, but he mustered, "it was time to spread my wings. Like Kaguya, I needed to find out who I was."

"Did you though? Found out who you are, that is," I don't know why I was asking so many questions, but they just kept coming out. Suddenly, I was staring at a stranger in the body of one of my closest friends. And suddenly, my heart raced within my chest as I danced around this stranger, as if some invisible bond were pulling me towards him.

"I'm Issun, the Wandering Artist," he answered curtly. "That much I've figured out. But I'm not entirely sure what all that means yet. I'll let you know when I do."

The bug turned to leave again when I suddenly rose to my feet. I bent over and scooped the poncle up in my hands and lifted him to my face. "At least let me help you."

When Issun didn't protest I hopped off the roof and landed as quietly as possible, setting him down just outside his room. I then turned to walk away after bidding goodnight, but this time it was Issun's turn to ask questions, "Do you know who you are?"

I jumped and turned back to the poncle, "What do you mean?"

"I mean," Issun began, "I know you grew up in Kamiki, and though you don't know about your mother, you know from your dad's side that you're a dog demon. You're _the_ dog demon whether you like it or not, but when you look deep down, can you honestly say to someone who you are? What it means to be Etsuko, Heir to the West?"

I thought on that for a moment, "Well, no. But I don't think I can ever answer that question definitely. It's like asking who Issun, the Wandering Artist is. I think that we are constantly changing who we are as a person based on the experiences we have and the people we meet. Or even the people we say goodbye to. As long as we know our title—our true title, like 'Wandering Artist' and as long as we are happy with what that title means and what we stand for, that's all that really matters, right?"

"Happy with what you stand for…" Issun repeated. It took several deep breaths before he said, "You have a point. Well, goodnight."

"Are you happy?" I asked without thinking.

"What?" Issun asked with surprise.

"Are you happy with who you are now?" I asked. Issun shrugged.

"Can't say that I am all that much," he admitted after a long pause. I could feel my heart breaking at that statement.

"But Issun…" I gasped. Without realizing what I was doing, I picked Issun up again so he rested in my hands and I lifted him to my face so I could at least attempt to look him in the eye. "Issun you're a wonderful man, a skilled swordsman, and a brave warrior. And I can only wish I could see what your paintings look like."

"Pup," Issun stopped me, "I'm a fowl-mouthed, temperamental pervert who ran away from home. What kind of man is that?"

"A mortal one," I answered defiantly. I would _not_ sit here and listen to this stupid Bug criticize himself! My thoughts once again flickered back to what the girls said to me in the Hot Spring. That brief moment when I let my feelings escape and I knew what I truly thought of Issun. Okay, so maybe love was possible for me. I took a deep breath and continued, "No one is perfect, Issun. Look at me, I'm a blind demon! And I'm stubborn and hell, half the time I don't know what the hell I'm even doing! But that's why I think we can always change. If you hated who you have become but couldn't change back into the person that you were happy with, what kind of life would that be? Issun, you can always become the man you aspire to be, but I think you're already a great one, despite your imperfections."

Issun let out a soft chuckle, almost sounding sad, "Funny, considering how much we argue."

"In case you haven't noticed, I argue with everyone," I retorted. "And frankly, you kind of do too. So we're perfect for each other." When I realized what I said, my face heated up and I corrected, "in that sense at least."

"Okaaay," Issun replied skeptically. He then paused before asking, "you really think I'm a good man?"

"Of course!" I replied. I then had to think hard about Ammy's advice to me and what I said to them in the hot spring as I spoke, "Issun, I swear some days you drive me up a wall and you can be the most annoying little bug on the face of this earth. But then you do things or say things…you're just so confident in yourself and the way you swagger off like you own the world…it's quite admirable. And then there are some times when I look at you and I think: wow, that's someone who could get anywhere he wants in life. You're the type of person who can look at me on even my darkest days and still treat me like I'm at my best, and you're someone who can bring light in my life no matter how down I may be. And I am grateful to you for that Issun, you have no idea."

I expected Issun to be in shock over my confession, but the way he had to sit down in my hands and the way his jaw dropped he appeared as if I were giving a love confession (which I wasn't sure I would ever be able to get to anyway).

"It was…me…" Issun choked out. I raised an eyebrow. Huh?

"What?" I asked, confused. The bug suddenly yelped and nearly jumped out of his skin.

"What?" he asked nervously as if he said something wrong. My confusion immediately turned to curiosity.

"What?" I asked again, tilting my head to the side. Was he hiding something?

"What?" Issun then asked again, slowly standing on his feet and trying to sneak out of my hands. And now my curiosity turned into outright suspicion.

"_What_?" I asked, narrowing my eyes. "Issun!"

"What?" Issun asked again. "I didn't say anything!"

"Yes you did," I spat back. "You said 'It was me'. What was you? What are you hiding?"

"Nothing," the bug shrugged, guilty as charged. For what, I did not know.

"Now listen, you little Bug—"

"Oh, it's getting late, see ya in the morning, Pup!" Issun cheered, racing back to his room. I let out a frustrated growl and stamped my foot to the ground, giving up as I walked back to my own room. I'd strangle it out of him sooner or later.

* * *

**Issun**

Issun never actually got to sleep and he was exhausted by the time the sun rose. Instead, he sat on a rock outside the inn, kicking the water of the pond with his feet, trying to process the reality that struck him.

There was no way, just _no_ way that _Issun_ was Mystery Man. It just wasn't possible! She was a demon!

And…well…he was a Poncle.

And Poncles were tiny.

But still, that would explain why Ammy used her Mist to help Issun and the monk sneak into the women's bathhouse.

Speak of the devil, the wolf emerged from her room at sunrise, stretching lazily and shaking her fur. She bounded towards Issun upon seeing him and leapt down the stairs and sat down beside the pond. The poncle in turn shot her a nasty glare and crossed his arms.

"Okay, Furball," he barked, "spill it."

Ammy's ears raised and her eyes widened, _spill what?_

"The hot springs. The other night. What Pup said," Issun stated synically. "She said almost the exact same thing to me that she said about Mystery Man and you let me sneak in on that conversation. Explain. Now."

The fleabag merely wagged her tail at him, _Isn't it obvious? You heard what she said about the man that she loves and you heard what she said to you. Surely you can figure it out._

"It's not possible," was all Issun could muster.

_Why not?_ The god asked.

"For starters, Etsuko's my _friend_, I can't be in love with her!" Issun spit out. "And she can do a lot better—"

_Oh shut it, Issun, _Ammy rolled her eyes.

"Seriously!" the poncle retorted. "You told her that Mystery Man can only see Pup when it comes to women. In case you haven't notice, I meet a lot of girls. A lot of pretty, _curvy_ girls. And I flirt with just about all of them!"

_Uh-huh. Sure,_ Ammy yawned, her ears flattening to her head as she did so. She then stretched and rose back to her feet. As she turned to leave, she said, _Here's a piece of advice, my friend: Look deep into yourself and ask, who the last woman you met that attracted you in ways besides general appearances. And then look at Etsuko—not just her appearance but who she is and ask yourself what you think of that woman and where you want to be in your relationship with her years from now._

Ammy left for breakfast after that and Issun had absolutely no idea what the wolf was asking of him. He crossed his arms, deep in thought and it wasn't until the group split up again to sneak into Queen Himiko's palace did the realization hit him like a ton of bricks.

Apparently the attendants were expecting the trio's arrival, but as the rode up the elevator to the top floor and stood outside the throne room doors, Issun had to hold his breath. There was a good chance that the confrontation wouldn't end well and the poncle was all but convinced that this woman hidden away was the monster behind the city's chaos. Issun thought hard about what Etsuko said the night before, what she meant, what she felt. He knew he had to at least say _something_. What, he did not know, but he turned to look at her anyway.

And when he did, that was when it hit him. That was when he saw her. Yes, she was pretty. She may not have been as curvy or aesthetically pleasing as other babes they had been along the way. As Miroku even pointed out just a few nights ago, she looked a little boyish and lanky. But she was still beautiful. And not only that, but her smile. When that girl smiled, you knew all was right in the world. And her modesty…she called it being socially inept, but Issun thought it more humble. A demon cursed with blindness but could still roam the world free as a bird and strong as can be. Issun realized in that moment that he had been wrong in titling her Etsuko, Heir to the West. She wasn't even Etsuko, the Cursed.

She was Etsuko, the Joyful.

And he loved her. He loved her with all of his heart.

In that moment of awe, he found himself saying, "Etsuko?"

The dog demon tilted her head towards him, continuing forward towards the throne room and responded, "Yeah?"

But he could not bring himself to say the words just yet. It was too soon to utter them. So instead, he smiled, feeling a warmth he thought was lost the day he left Ponc'tan and said, "Thank you."


	15. Chapter 14

Can't say that a _whole_ lot happens but...I think you all can imagine what happens next :3 And then I get to throw you all completely off guard! :D Well. Sort of. In time. I love plot twists.

ENJOI

* * *

**Issun**

She hid behind a mesh curtain translucent enough to barely allow enough light for her silhouette to pass through the other side. The three approached her hesitantly and Issun kept his hand on the hilt of Denkomaru. Ammy padded her paws against the floor gently, maintaining a more crouched and defensive position as she walked and Etsuko kept one of her hands raised, ready to transform her bracelets into her new weapons.

And the first thing Pup did when they approached Queen Himiko was to sniff the air and let out a sigh of relief before all but letting her guard down.

Just like that.

And here Issun was starting to admire the dog demon. Great. That look on her face was so stupid, that, if she had one, she would have been wagging her tail like a puppy.

But then the queen spoke, "Benevolent Amaterasu, I have been waiting for you. And Issun the Traveling Artist, Etsuko, Heir to the West, I have been awaiting you both as well."

All three present jumped in surprise and Issun managed to ask, "How did you know our names?" But after a slight pause, Ammy shook her head and stood up from her crouch, her tail starting to flick subconsciously. Oh great, now Furball was going to trust this wench? The poncle shook his head and continued, "Anyway, first things first: You know about that funky mist and the Water Dragon, didn't you? You've got some explaining to do! Tell us what you're up to!"

Queen Himiko was silent and for a moment, Issun almost thought she let out a sob. Almost. The woman finally spoke up through a choked voice, "My people…my poor people…their suffering torments me. Sickened by this mist and terrorized by the Water Dragon, the cries of their pain wash over me like a torrent!"

Her silhouette then bent over suddenly as she appeared to let out all of her pain through choked sobs.

"You poor thing," Etsuko said softly. Issun whipped his head in her direction, appalled that she would even _empathize_ with this fake!

"Don't take sides for her, Pup! This is all her doing!" He spat in a hushed voice and before the dog demon could respond he turned back to the Queen and stated, "We know what's going on. You've been tormenting the people of this city. You must be a monster feeding off the ill will it generates! Now stop stalling and raise this grimy old curtain! Come on! Show yourself, old hag!"

"Issun!" Etsuko barked, shooting a nasty glare almost in his direction. "Be nice!"

"Why are you sympathizing with her? A real queen wouldn't let her subject suffer like this! She's an imposter!" Issun snapped back and Etsuko smacked her hand to her face in annoyance and grumbled something under her breath.

The queen turned her head towards the trio and said in a forlorn voice, "Issun, your words are very harsh. But you are right, it was rude of me to hide my face from you." She then stood and turned her body to face them, but held some sort of leaf over her face still as she knelt back down. "Benevolent Amaterasu," she said, "I, Himiko, ruler of Sei-an City offer my most sincere apologies."

Himiko bowed her head to the floor in apology as the curtains lifted off the ground. Issun and Ammy both crouched slightly, preparing themselves for whatever was to come while Etsuko just stood their with her hands behind her back as if stupidly thinking that there would be no fight.

And, as always it seemed, Etsuko wasn't the stupid one.

And when Himiko moved the leaves out of her face. Oh hot _damn_!

Issun practically felt his heart stop in his chest—whether it was from embarrassment for being an idiot or because Himiko was that hot, he did not know—as he fell off Furball's head and rolled on the floor until he stopped at Etsuko's feet. When he regained his sense of dignity, he was amazed she did not step on him when she had the chance.

Himiko gazed at the trio with sad but warm brown eyes before she turned her delicately painted face away with a deeply pained expression as she explained, "As ruler, I cannot stand by and watch my people suffer. I, Himiko, will not let this evil darken Sei-an and my prayers will not cease until we are rid of this curse!" Himiko turned back to face them and suddenly the sorrow in her eyes was replaced by a deep burning passion that rivaled the persistence of the flames which danced on her crown. "I shall not give up until I have located the hateful monsters' stronghold, Oni Island!"

Issun finally regained his bearings and sat up, bouncing onto Etsuko's shoulder. She gave him an irritated growl in warning, but he was too dazed to pay attention. "What's this about a monster's stronghold? Are you saying that's the source of your city's problems? Can't say I've heard of Oni Island, but what do you mean you're trying to locate it? I mean, it's an island! It can't just float away!"

"Oni Island is elusive," Himiko explained, "It vanishes each day at sundown, shifting to a new location. No one knows where in the vast wide ocean it will reappear so even if I wanted to dispatch an army there, it would never arrive."

Well that could be a problem. And it explains a lot. Issun crossed his arms and said, "You don't say…but still, why do you coop yourself up in here all day? I mean, what good will it do to simply pray day in and day out?"

"Have you _heard_ of holy powers, Bug?" Etsuko muttered. Issun shot her a glare but shrugged the remark off.

Himiko stood and raised her hand. In response, the giant crystal ball behind her lifted off of the alter and floated towards her. It emitted a benevolent glow that made Issun feel strangely at peace but also incredibly burdened by responsibility.

"This is the treasured crystal ball," the queen explained. "My family, the Yamatai Clan, has ruled over Sei-an City forever and this crystal ball has been passed down through the generations. I can foresee the future in this. It told me you were coming and I can use it to locate where Oni Island will reappear next."

"Well it seems like you could find Oni Island instantaneously with that thing," Etsuko pointed out. "Though…where exactly is it?"

"It's floating, Pup," Issun said. "It's floating."

"Oh. Right," Etsuko's form looked as if to deflate slightly. "Yet still, why have you not found it? It's been over a month since this all began."

"Exposing a stronghold like Oni Island demands much holy power," Himiko said, "but if the enemy knew of my prayers, they would stop at nothing to prevent me in my mission. That is why I have locked myself away. Prayers are our only hope. But the spearhead of our enemy's forces may already be on its way."

"Okay," Issun said. That was a pretty good story she made up. But still…Etsuko and Ammy both seemed to trust her. And he was never one to turn down a pretty face! "I'll go along with this," the poncle stated coolly. He hopped off Pup's shoulder and made his way over to Himiko, but was knocked back and shocked by some invisible force as he approached her. Suddenly, the world was spinning.

"Yeah, she has a barrier up by the way," Etsuko pointed out, placing her hands on her hips with an almost cruel smirk on her face. Ammy went over to Issun and licked his head, smothering the flames that started on bits of singed hair.

_Are you alright_? The wolf asked. Issun shot both dogs a glare.

"Thanks for the warning!" he snapped angrily. Only Himiko appeared to be apologetic.

"Please be careful!" the queen pleaded, "you cannot approach me now. By taking this crystal ball in my hand, a powerful magical barrier is erected to dispel any misfortune. You will be struck down by divine forces if you try to approach. This crystal ball ensures my safety. Even if the enemies learn of my prayers, the barrier will protect me from their attacks."

"Again, thank you all for the warning!" Issun grumbled. Pup let out a snarky laugh before she picked him up in her hands and lifted him to her face (she had a recent habit of doing that…and strangely, the poncle kinda liked it. He could see that pretty face better when she did).

"You kind of deserved it," she pointed out. Issun attempted to argue back but when he found no words to say, he turned back around to face Himiko and he sat down, crossing his arms.

_Queen Himiko_, Ammy said, stepping forward slightly, _What does this island have to do with your people? Why are these dark forces and the Water Dragon attacking so persistently?_

Himiko sighed heavily and asked, "Benevolent Amaterasu, I entreat you, will you hear my request?"

Ammy responded with a curt nod and the queen practically sighed in relief as she said, "the Water Dragon threatens the peace of the oceans and I do not know why it has turned to such savagery. The Water Dragon is a sea god whose task is to maintain order. So, though it may cause harm, we would invite chaos if we try to slay it. In fact, without the Water Dragon, Oni Island is lost."

"What?" Issun asked dumbfounded. Because that made a hell of a lot of sense!

Himiko sighed and attempted to rephrase her explanation, "The Water Dragon is the key to reaching Oni Island. Even if the crystal ball shows me the location of Oni Island, the island's powerful shield will prevent us from getting in. Any attempts to break the shield only result in our own pain but the Water Dragon could break the shield with ease and could form a bridge over the sea to the island!"

Issun glanced back at Etsuko who returned a slightly horrified expression. "So you're saying that you can find the location of the island…" the poncle began.

"…and we're supposed to ask a rampaging all-powerful dragon to break the shield?" Etsuko finished, her complexion paling as she spoke. Issun too felt his stomach churn at the thought.

_Are you sure this is the only way to reach the island?_ _It won't take kindly to our request, will it? _Ammy asked, shifting her weight nervously. They all knew where this was headed.

"That is why I ask for your help, Amaterasu," Himiko explained. "You're powers could calm the water dragon and get it to help us. I cannot leave this palace, you are the only one who can do this!"

_Well, I suppose I can be of help,_ Ammy muttered, and receive two very sickly looks from a poncle and a dog demon.

"We're gonna get killed!" Issun shrieked as Etsuko choked out, "But that requires swimming."

The queen seemed oblivious the outburst's of the wolf's companions as she jumped excitedly before she quickly regained her composure and cheered, "Amaterasu, you truly are benevolent! It is said that there is a race that controls the Water Dragon. They live in the sea beyond the border of Nippon, in the Dragonian Domain and they may have some connection with the dragon's recent behavior. Please calm the Water Dragon and open the path to Oni Island!"

_You have my word_, Ammy said, bowing slightly before her companions could make any choked out remarks. She turned to leave, motioning for Issun and Etsuko to follow. As they walked out of the palace, Issun mulled over the task at hand.

"So we don't actually have to deal with the Water Dragon so that's good," Issun stated.

"But we still have to swim," Etsuko muttered. The poncle paid no mind to her.

"If we can get to the Northern Coast and find the Dragonian Palace, we can just get them to tell us how to calm it down!" Issun continued to voice his thoughts. This plan was sounding more and more doable in his head.

"But we still have to swim," Etsuko said again a little more frantically.

"Though when I get down there, I'm going to give who's ever in charge a piece of my mind!" Issun stated angrily.

"But Issun!" Etsuko cried out in a panic, "_We still have to swim_!"

"So?" the poncle asked stupidly and then he turned to look at her and the beads of sweat that pooled along her forehead.

Right. Blind. Can't swim.

And it didn't help that she almost drowned the last time they drug her out to sea.

"We'll figure something out," the poncle finally mustered. Etsuko squirmed nervously, trying hard to fight back the fear that visibly struck her like a knife. A knot formed in Issun stomach as he watched her. He hated seeing her like this. Frantically trying to calm her down, the poncle hopped onto her shoulder and patted her gently on the neck where her jaw met her ear as he said gently, "Don't worry, Pup, it'll be fine."

"That's what you said last time," Etsuko coughed stiffly. Her breathing started to quicken and Issun was afraid she would start hyperventilating.

"You aren't in the water yet!" Issun barked, trying to stop her panic-attack, "If we can find away to the Dragon Palace without swimming, we will. If not, we aren't going to make you get in the water when you can't see, we won't let that happen to you again."

Etsuko's breathing slowed and she sighed heavily before she asked, "You sure?"

"I promise," Issun swore, crossing his hand over his heart for emphasis. Etsuko heaved another sigh.

"Alright, if you say so," she shrugged and the left to meet up with the others.

Inuyasha was on red-alert when they found him and he was ready for a fight as he stood crouched low with his hand on the hilt of his sword. "Took ya long enough!" the half-demon barked, bearing his teeth.

"What's wrong?" Pup asked as they approached the group. Everyone looked tense. Sango had her Hiraikotsu at the ready, Miroku had his gloved hand raised while the other rested on the prayer beads around his wrist. Supposedly the monk had a cursed palm with a wormhole in the center of it that sucked in anything. Kagome too had an arrow resting on her bow, ready to draw.

"Inuyasha has picked up on Naraku's scent," Kagome explained. The trio merely exchanged confused glances. Great, something _else_ that they had to worry about?

"Who's Naraku?" Issun asked.

"You mean you don't know?" Inuyasha asked incredulously. "He's the one who attacked us earlier when you three were trying to sneak into the Emperor's palace!"

Suddenly, Etsuko paled and she took a step back, "You mean…Naraku is the—the voice?"

"He's not just a voice, he's a half-demon like me, except he's after the shikon jewel to make himself a full demon and destroy this world!" Inuyasha explained. And now there was a _jewel_ that could destroy the world? How many more crises was the poncle going to have to live through before his heart gave out?

"But why couldn't I see him when he attacked? All I could hear was his voice…the same voice who has haunted my dreams and took my family from me when I was little…" Etsuko muttered as if she were in some kind of trance. All eyes went to the dog demon as if something in their brains' clicked.

"Naraku was airborne which is probably why you couldn't see him," Kagome explained in a daze, "but Naraku was the one who attacked you and your parents when you were little?"

All Pup could do was nod her head. Inuyasha stood from his crouch and released the hilt of his sword but his shoulders slumped forward in disbelief.

"You're kidding," he muttered. "That explains why Sesshomaru was acting so weird around you…but why would Naraku attack you guys?"

Etsuko jumped at the mention of her father's name and advanced on Inuyasha before grabbing him by the collar of his haori and shaking him frantically, "What do you mean that explains it? Who is Naraku and what did he want with us? What did he do to my dad?"

Inuyasha shifted his eyes awkwardly, searching for an answer, but Miroku stepped forward to explain, "We do not know what happened between Naraku and Sesshomaru, but we have all been affected by him. Naraku was the one who placed the curse of the Wind Tunnel on my grandfather's hand which will be passed down and destroy every son born in my family until his demise. He even sought to ruin the lives of the other's. Fifty years ago, he attempted to take control of the shikon jewel by turning Inuyasha and a priestess named Kikyo—the guardian of the shikon jewel at the time who was later reincarnated into Kagome—against each other. He has also more recently possessed Sango's younger brother Kohaku and forced him to kill their family and he is still under Naraku's control to this day. He disappears frequently and is hard to find, but we know his motives typically involve tearing people's relationships apart, so I can imagine that the way Sesshomaru treated you when you two were reunite had to do with Naraku."

Etsuko crossed her arms and turned her head away, deep in thought, "Could my father be possessed?"

"Fat chance," Inuyasha grunted. "Sesshomaru is too strong to be placed under someone's control. He's always been coldhearted, Etsuko so—" but then the hanyou cut himself off and he looked to the ground, deep in thought. "Though…I imagine that Naraku did something to convince him to tell you off…he might have been threatened."

Kagome gave Inuyasha a confused stare at that, "What could he possibly use to threaten Sesshomaru though?"

Inuyasha responded simply by folding his arms into the sleeves of his haori and look up at Etsuko, his gaze intent. Issun's eyes widened in shock as he realized what Inuyasha had figured out. His thought's suddenly drifted back to that day in the ravine, when Sesshomaru looked to be running away from something. When Etsuko mysteriously lost consciousness but even more strange, woke up immediately after her father departed.

"_If you want what's best for her, you best make sure to keep me away from Etsuko. Until her curse is lifted, she can't be anywhere near me."_

_Her curse_.

Issun's heart sank as he looked up at Etsuko who held her hands to meet her eyes as she tried desperately to see—to really see. She must've known as well.

"He was the one who cursed you," Issun breathed.

"But how?" she guffawed. "I'm a dog demon! And why would he even want to do that? We had nothing to do with him before all this started!"

_Not only that,_ Ammy added, _but this Shikon Jewel…I've heard of it before. A priestess who died ages ago crystalized her own soul to vanquish evil demons and as a result became a powerful object sought out by all living creatures for it can grant any one wish. I heard that it shattered into several pieces not long ago and in recent years in inherited a will of its own—two wills actually, one good, known as Noahi and one of pure evil, Magatsuhi. Should the jewel fall into the wrong hands and awaken Magatsuhi, this world would cease to exist. _

"This is just great!" Issun roared. "First we have to slay Orochi, and when we do we come across a rampaging Water Dragon, a plagued city, a monster stronghold that disappears and reappears somewhere new every day, and now this stupid jewel! What _else_ could go wrong?"

The poncle didn't know it yet, but their struggles were destined to extend far beyond a few curses and dark magic. Oh no, the days that awaited both Issun and Etsuko were far darker than they could ever imagine, and only time would tell if they had the perseverance and resolve to emerge from their dark days.

_Calm yourself, Issun_, Ammy urged. _One step at a time, okay? As you said, we managed to slay Orochi himself. Certainly we can tame a water dragon and reclaim the Shikon Jewel before Naraku._

"Actually, just leave Naraku and the jewel to us," Inuyasha stepped in. Ammy looked up at the hanyou with large golden eyes. The half-demon shrugged and said, "We've been chasing after Naraku and collecting jewel shards for ages now. But what's this about and island and the Water Dragon?"

"Queen Himiko wants us to meet with the Dragonians who control the Water Dragon and see what we can do to tame it. The evil that's been attacking the city hides out in a stronghold called Oni Island and the Water Dragon is the only one who can break down the island's barrier," Issun explained.

"Are you sure the queen is trustworthy? She has been hiding for quite some time," Sango pointed out.

"She undoubtedly is," Etsuko then said. "Her scent is pure and she has been working to locate the island. The reason she has been hiding is to keep the enemy from finding out."

"Alright," Inuyasha grunted. "If you guys say we can trust the queen, then I'm not worried about this place anymore. We'll take care of Naraku if you three can handle the Water Dragon."

_That is a fair deal,_ Ammy said, wagging her tail. _If we can destroy the evil at work here in Nippon before Naraku is defeated, we will return to assist you._

"Alright," Inuyasha nodded. He then turned back to his friends and ordered, "Quick, while I can still smell Naraku, let's go!"

Sango and Miroku hopped on Kilala's back and took to the skies while Kagome got on Inuyasha's before turning back and said, "It was great meeting all of you!"

The trio nodded and waved goodbye, but Inuyasha paused to look back at Pup. "Hey Etsuko?" he said.

"Yeah?" Etsuko responded, caught a little off guard.

"You take care of yourself," he said in a soft voice. "We'll break your curse when we defeat Naraku, and I'll make sure your dad makes up with you."

Etsuko's eyes widened and she blinked several times before she smiled and said, "Thank you, Uncle. Just don't go causing trouble wherever you go, okay?"

Inuyasha gave a snarky laugh and Kagome sighed, "No promises there, unfortunately."

With that, they left and it was just the three of them again for a short time.

* * *

**Etsuko**

Well, the good news was that we would _exactly_ have to swim to get the Dragon Palace.

The bad news was that we had to ride a dolphin named Orca and dive until a whirlpool that we had to actually find first and somehow learn to breathe under water to meet the Dragonians.

Even if Orca did say he could outswim the Water Dragon, I wasn't too keen on taking my chances. But Issun and Ammy were all for the plan, and I didn't necessarily want to be left behind. I sat on the dock as Ammy asked Orca about finding the whirlpool. Issun sat on top of my head and asked, "Are you going to be okay?"

"No," I answered honestly, fighting to keep my lunch down. "But I'll live."

"Pup, you really don't have to come if you don't want to," Issun said. "And we'll be back. Just pop in and pop out and you won't even know we were gone!"

I began to say something in response to Issun, but the scent of blossoms and perfume overwhelmed my nose so suddenly I spun around on the dock to face who I knew was approaching. The prophet tapped the ground lightly, barely touching the earth as he floated in the air just to let me know he was present.

"Bonjur, Amaterasu!" Waka said enthusiastically, catching all of our attentions. "I trust you enjoyed your 'little adventure through that hole'? The city's air has sure cleared up thanks to you."

"Just ignore him, maybe he'll go away," Issun grumbled, but I leapt to my feet, relieved to meet my teacher again.

"Waka!" I cheered as I ran up to him. The prophet outstretched his arms in greeting.

"Little Etsu! It's great to see your friendship blossom with ma Cherie and my little bouncing friend!" Waka said. I couldn't help but smile, but Issun all but ruined the mood.

"You know this half-baked prophet?" the poncle asked in disbelief. I turned back to Issun and raised an eyebrow.

"He's my teacher!" I explained. "And he's not half-baked. He's an actual prophet. A little cryptic, but damn good at what he does."

"Ugh," Issun groaned. "I can't believe you would trust this guy…so the sickness spreads, I guess."

Waka let out what sounded to be a whine as he tilted his head to the side and crossed his arms. "Why so grumpy today?" the prophet asked. "I mean, look at the view! Is this what they mean by prettier than a picture, my little friend?"

Issun grasped the hilt of his sword and snarled, "What's that supposed to mean, pretty boy?"

"Oh, just a little something I heard somewhere," Waka giggled. I raised an eyebrow at that. Waka was always…strange, but there was a tone in his voice that I wasn't sure I liked. The prophet only raised my suspicions when he continued, "So, my little bouncing friend, you're a wandering artist, no? I want to see how beautiful your paintings are. Just one would be fine, pretty please?"

"Huh?" Issun asked, a little off guard, "My art's none of your business!"

I don't know why, but for some reason, the question seemed to really upset the poncle. I didn't like seeing the two argue, so I did my best to alleviate the tension and defended Issun, "Don't mind him, he's just in a bad mood. But Master Waka, we've been traveling across the country for a month and fighting off monsters every step of the way. Issun hasn't had time to work on any—"

"Stay out of this, Pup!" Issun growled. I jumped and fought hard to keep my feelings from hurting as he said, "I want to know what this bastard wants with my paintings. He doesn't deserve to see any of them but I still demand to know why he's so nosy!"

"You really are in a bad mood today," Waka noted. "Even going so far as to yell at the woman most dear to you. But never mind that, I was only wondering: you aren't one of those imposters who claims to be an artist but could not paint a picture if his life depended on it…are you?"

"_What?_" Issun snarled. "I dare you to say that again!"

Ammy and I both leapt at that insult, suspicious of Waka. "He is too an artist, Master Waka! Why are you acting like this all of the sudden?"

"I am only here to make a point, dear Etsu, I do not mean to offend. However, you cannot see so how do you know that his paintings even exist?" Waka asked and I clenched my jaw shut, but Ammy was there to back me up.

_I have seen his work and it is genuine, Waka, so I ask you to refrain from challenging my friend in such a way_, the wolf stated.

"I wonder about that," Waka mused. "There is something an old man I know once mentioned. His grandson, who was also his apprentice ran away from home and he took the old man's painting of a wood sprite with him. Do you think he would claim to have painted that masterpiece? There are so many unscrupulous people out there, sometimes it is hard to spot a fraud amongst so many individuals. But you wouldn't know anything about that, would you?"

Something in the back of my mind clicked and I could feel a pit form in my stomach. He told me that he left his home but…but he wouldn't steal from his own grandfather! Would he?

Issun drew his sword suddenly and snapped, "I don't know what the heck you're talking about so why don't you just shut your pie hole and get the hell out of here!"

"Excuze-moi you don't have to get all hot under the collar!" Waka defended. "It appears I have struck a raw nerve. My bouncing friend, I hope you aren't hiding something _important_ from your dear friends, are you?"

That was it. I couldn't take any more of this. I just couldn't. "He's not hiding anything! He's an honest man who is passionate about what he does and it's been a long day so just leave him alone!" I begged.

Waka sighed heavily and placed a hand on my shoulder, "Etsu, such a loving friend you are, my apologies if I have frightened you. But do you see this, my little friend? Dogs are known for their ability to accept one's affection unconditionally, and if you have the patience, you can earn even the most damaged dog's loyalty forever. But doesn't that make them a bit vulnerable?"

Issun let out another snarl, "_Etsuko_," he warned, "Stay out of this. But you listen here, Waka, don't start dragging Pup into this now!"

"I'm not dragging her into anything," Waka challenged. "But I will say to you this: What do you think happens when you earn a false loyalty and abuse that privilege? And what if that loyalty was earned from an already beaten individual? Just how broken would they become if they learned you were nothing more than a selfish worm feeding the world that knocked them down in the first place? And what kind of man would that make you, Issun?"

"WAKA STOP!" I screamed as loud as I could. I hadn't even realized the tears that fell down my face nor that my whole body was trembling until I started gasping for air. This was humiliating, but I couldn't calm down, no matter how hard I tried.

The prophet immediately retracted from me and let out a sad little noise before saying, "Dear me, I'm sorry Etsuko. Have I really upset you that much? That was not my intention."

"Then what was your intention?" I asked, panting.

"A warning," Waka said as he turned his head in Issun's direction. "And also a lesson."

"Get. Away. From here," Issun ordered in a low voice.

"Alright, alright," Waka put his hands in front of him defensively, "I don't have any prophecies this time so I might as well be on my way. But, Little Etsu' is coming with me."

"What?" Issun shrieked. "Over my dead body!"

"She can't swim and is terrified of the ocean, what good would it be to bring her along when you already promised her she wouldn't have to endure such a frightening time?" Waka pointed out.

"She's staying here but she ain't going with you!" Issun ordered.

"Why not?" Waka asked. "I am her teacher and we haven't sparred in quite some time. I want to see her progress."

"No," Issun crossed his arms.

"I don't think that's for you to decide, Bug!" I snapped back at the poncle.

"And I don't think it's your place to get in the middle of _my _arguments!" he snapped back. It took everything I had not to squash him.

"What was I supposed to do? Let him wrongly accuse you? We're friends, Issun! And friends look out for each other! That's all I was trying to do!" I pleaded. Why was he getting mad at _me _all of the sudden?

"I DON'T NEED YOU!" Issun screamed suddenly. I clenched my jaw shut as the words struck me like knives in my chest, trying hard not to feel hurt by his anger towards me. He always lost his temper. We always got mad at each other, but we always made up. So why was it always so painful? Why couldn't I trust the fact that come evening we would be best of friends? Why was I so doubtful of my worth to him? Issun finally let out a frustrated scream and declared, "I don't need anyone! So you—you just stay safe. Here. Run around with the half-baked prophet for all I care and we'll deal with the Water Dragon."

_But we do need you, Etsuko_, Ammy reassured, nudging me with her head affectionately. _We'll be back soon to come get you as soon as this is sorted out._

"Let's go, Furball," Issun spat, not even turning his head to face me.

"I can still help," I half-begged as they hopped onto Orca, out of my vision. "I-I won't be a nuisance anymore after this…I don't want to be—I—I'm sorry, Issun."

At that, the bug let out a heavy sigh, and had I known better I would have realized then that it wasn't me he was angry with. If I had known better I would have learned then that the poncle was so hard on himself, I'm not sure he had a kind word to say about himself. "You aren't a nuisance, Pup," he finally spat. "I just don't want ya getting hurt. Now stay here and don't get yourself into any trouble, got it?"

"Okay," I said weakly. And with that, there was a splash and their scents faded away. I heaved, struggling for air. Why the hell was I so emotional? Waka placed a hand on my shoulder but I suddenly went on the defensive and shoved it away.

"Forgive me, Little Etsu," Waka apologized. "I knew the subject would cause tension but I had not foreseen that you would become upset by this."

I spat out a mix between a sob and a cynical laugh. "Ever since I was a child, I trusted you. With all my heart, and I still do and I'm sure there was reason behind such hurtful words to him but…Issun can't be a thief. He just can't be. There's no way he would lie to me, he _is_ and artist and he wouldn't just—"

I choked down another sob and covered my mouth. Despite my angry struggle, Waka pulled me to his side in a half-hug and gave my shoulders a reassuring squeeze.

"You are right, Etsu," he said. "Issun is an honest man and he is an artist. However he has made some mistakes in his past and he needs to right his wrongs. And I apologize again, there was meaning behind my words but I suppose I too got beside myself. I am protective of my students and I promised your father long ago that I would guard you with my life and seeing your loyalty to him this early on made me a little fearful."

"What do you mean, 'this early on'?" I asked, narrowing my eyes. "What do you know?"

"Nothing that I am free to say," he said. "It shall reveal itself in time, but you need to be cautious for now. Issun is a trustworthy person but he still holds a lot of anger and he could easily turn to you and say the wrong thing."

"Alright," I sighed. "Just promise me you won't be so hard on him next time."

"Only if you promise me not to take personally what he will say to you upon his return to Pon'tan," Waka asked. I rolled my eyes.

"Oh great," I groaned.

"In any case, shall we move off this dog and to more solid ground?" Waka offered. "I can't help but notice the bracelets from Kamui on your wrists and I had an idea for you to manipulate the air in order to see during flight!"

"Oh?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. This could be interesting.

* * *

**Inuyasha**

It wasn't Naraku.

"Inuyasha you stay the hell away from me!" Kagura threatened as she unleashed several wind attacks. They had been chasing her ever since they closed in on her at the outskirts of Ryoshima. At first Inuyasha saw fighting the wind sorceress as a waste of time, but then Miroku brought up the fact that she could possibly know about Etsuko's curse. Now the drive to wrestle even the slightest bit of information out of her fueled a drive within everyone that made their chase tireless.

"Please, Kagura! We need your help!" Kagome pleaded. "We know you seek your freedom from Naraku and anything you have to say could help us!"

"Yeah right, like I can trust any of _you_!" she snapped back. "And if you're after his heart again, I already told you, you've got the wrong—"

"That's not our question!" Inuyasha roared. He unsheathed his Tetsusaiga and thrust a Windscar at her. The wind sorceress's arm was burned slightly as she fell backwards on her feather in an attempt to avoid it. The feather she rode on too was damaged and it shrunk back down to her hairpiece and Kagura fell to the ground. Without thinking, the half-demon ran up to Kagura while she was still dazed and pointed his blade towards her neck. "You tell us right now what you know about Etsuko's curse."

Her red eyes fluttered open in almost a panic and she sat up with frantic speed, oblivious to the sword that threatened to lop her head off. "_Who_?"

"Don't be stupid, even you should know who Etsuko is. With the amount of time you spend running after Sesshomaru, you've _got_ to know about his daughter," Inuyasha spat. The hanyou nearly jumped back in surprise, however, when the response he received was faint whimper.

"But…she's dead…" she uttered.

"What?" Inuyasha's eyes widened and he took a step back. Okay, why was she getting emotional?

"Inuyasha, put that sword away!" Kagome ordered. Inuyasha just watched as Kagura looked to the ground, trembling as tears escaped her eyes. Dumbfounded, the hanyou sheathed Tetsusaiga and waited for an explanation.

When none came, Sango knelt down beside Kagura and placed a hand on her shoulder, but was only smacked away by a now vicious and enraged looking demon.

"You stay the hell away from me!" she growled. "And how dare you mock me with Etsuko's name!"

"Mock?" Sango asked. "Kagura, we aren't trying to mock you? We're just asking you what Naraku wants with our friend."

"Oh please," Kagura laughed darkly. "You lot certainly know how to kick someone while they're down. First Sesshomaru comes after my head for what happened and now you morons are mocking me? If this is your sick plan of torture, you might as well kill me now. Etsuko died a long time ago. Not even Tenseiga could bring her back, that much I know and it's all my fault, isn't it? That's what everyone says! It's my fault for running away from Naraku and passing this imprisonment on and it's my fault that Naraku decided to toy with the bonds that were formed between him and Etsuko as a result of her bloodline. And it's all my fault I apparently wasn't around enough so you guys can just shut it! I'm tired of hearing this crap!"

Everyone stared at Kagura with in utter confusion and exchanged nervous glances. Inuyasha was the first to break the silence: "What are you talking about?"

"What?" Kagura asked, blinking several times.

"Okay, let's start over," Miroku then knelt down beside Sango and placed and explained, "Kagura, we have a friend that we met recently. Her name is Etsuko and she is a blind dog demon. She's Sesshomaru's daughter and was separated from him at a young age, but they each thought that the other had died in a fire. They were reunited recently but Sesshomaru merely turned her away in cold blood, but we now have reason to suspect that his actions were the result of a curse the Naraku placed on Etsuko in infancy—whatever it is, we also think it may relate to her blindness. We were wondering if you knew anything about Etsuko or why Naraku might have wanted to place a curse on her. If there is anything you can tell us, anything at all, it would be a great help. We just want to help our friend break her curse."

Kagura sat numbly, staring at the ground as if she had the wind knocked out of her. "You said she was blind?" she finally asked.

"Yes," Miroku answered.

"And her eyes…are they gold like Sesshomaru's?"

"Just like them."

"Her hair is a dark brown, almost black and she possesses the same facial markings as Sesshomaru I'm guessing."

"Precisely," Miroku nodded his head. "So you know her?"

"Oh, I know her alright," Kagura muttered painstakingly. "But let me tell you that it's not just Naraku who is behind this. There has been very powerful and very dark monsters at work in the last hundred years. It started with Orochi but its roots run deeper—the very beings who created Naraku himself in fact. There was one woman in particular who was after Etsuko. The Dog General, Sesshomaru's father, his mother was supposedly a dog demon unlike any others. She was born in the northern lands of Kamui and as a result was blessed with a spiritual power that coincided with her demonic energy. Her soul was purified and her body made strong as a result. No one had seen it before. And they say that is how the general inherited his compassion for humans. But that's just a story."

"And?" Inuyasha barked, "what does my old man's family have to do with Etsuko's curse?"

"Because it was supposed to be just a story," Kagura stated. "Whatever powers she had, she kept secret, but they say that upon her death she ascended into heaven and joined the gods, even fought alongside Shiranui on the Celestial Plain before Orochi came crashing to earth with a vengeance. I can't say whether that's all true or not, but according to Naraku, well, according to the Dark Lord who created him, Etsuko inherited the pure soul of her great-grandmother. And that scares the Dark Lord and Naraku both more than anything. Because of me, Naraku was able to place the curse on Etsuko with ease while the Dark Lord killed and began impersonating a priestess who was trying to help lift Etsuko's curse. That's all I really know. It was my fault this happened to her."

"But why would it be your fault?" Kagome then asked. "I understand Naraku fearing Etsuko's power, but how was he able to curse her because of you?"

"You mean you really don't know?" Kagura asked mockingly. "I guess it doesn't surprise me. Sesshomaru's despises me now, I can't see how he'd ever forgive me anyway. But…I am Etsuko's mother."

* * *

But you already knew _that_! Unless you forgot...which I don't blame you (because I never update! *sob*) But now there's a reason why everyone is shitting their pants! (I need to stop posting these late at night). Also, the whole spiritual great-grandma thing will make a lot more sense when our favorite trio gets to Wep'keer. :)


	16. Chapter 15

ALL OF THE FLUFF! All of the fluff sprinkled in with some big "OH SHIT" moments! Yay! (I really need to stop updating late at night)

But seriously, this is the fluffiest chapter since my Valentine's Day Special last year for Broken Love. Well...maybe not the fluffiest, but I was listening to the Frozen soundtrack when I wrote it and yes, it has a great deal to do with the fluffy in this shit.

ENJOI

* * *

**Etsuko**

I should have known something was wrong before Ammy and Issun left for the Dragonian Palace. It took them two days before they came back and there was still no sign of the hidden whirlpool. According to them at least. But those two evenings, and every evening before at sunset I would feel a shiver run up my spine. Just a shiver, nothing more. Always at the same time, just like at every other sunset. But that shiver struck me with the strangest fear on those two evenings. It felt as if something was watching us, waiting for us, waiting to kill us. No one else seem to notice anything strange. At least, Waka wasn't involving himself in this Oni Island business and told me not to think about it and Ammy and Issun were asleep before sunset when they returned to shore.

The next day, we spent looking for anyone who knew about the whirlpool or where it could possibly be. Honestly, I figured our only bet was Urashima, a tubby fisherman running around the coast's tiny settlement claiming he had been to the Dragon Palace before—he was the one who told us how to find Orca after all. When we found him early in the morning, however, he told us that the whirlpool disappeared long before the Water Dragon's rampage began and he had no idea how to find it. Everyone else after that was basically a dead end either not knowing about the Dragonians at all or yelling at us for believing in Urashima's stories.

Apparently, during their adventure with Orca, Ammy learned a new brush technique so their travels weren't a total loss though that did little to lift our spirits by the end of the day and as Waka and Ammy went to see if they could find any dinner, Issun and I climbed up to the Watcher's cape to scout out a spot to sleep for the night.

There was a really nice monument erected at the end of Watcher's Cape that Issun said looked like to be a prime star gazing spot. Star gazing. That'd be great if I actually could star gaze. But whatever. We sat down and got a fire going, waiting for Ammy and Waka to return. And in the silence I realized that Issun and I hadn't spoken two words to each other since he got back. At least, we hadn't said two words to each other in small talk that resulted in more than a one-word answer. Honestly, I didn't know two words I could say to him after what he said to me just before he left with Orca and only then did I realize how awkward it was.

"So um…" I stuttered, trying to find a way to break the ice, "this is a nice little spot to hunker down for the night."

Issun sat on the ground beside me but said nothing, his legs grossed and his head facing forward, not bothering to turn towards me. When no response came, I couldn't help but feel my heart sink. Slowly, the memory of our exchange a couple days ago came bubbling back to the surface. Oh man…Issun must've still been furious with me. How stupid I was to try to fight his fight for him, no matter how out of line Waka may have been. But still, I didn't know why he got so defensive or why he lashed out the way he did. Ugh, this was so confusing.

"Look, Issun," I breathed, trying again, "About what happened the other day, I—"

"Don't," Issun said gruffly. I stopped midsentence, feeling my entire form tense up at the bug's words. "Don't start," he said again, this time his voice softening in what almost sounded like defeat, "Please. I know. Just don't start."

"Start what?" I asked, genuinely confused. Issun turned his head up at me and I instinctively turned mine away from him as if we could even make eye contact. "I was just going to say that I was sorry about what I said."

Apparently, it was the apology Issun didn't want to hear because as soon as I said that, the bug just let out an exasperated groan and rested his head in his hands. "Pup…I just said…ugh, look, you did nothing wrong, I just exploded back there. I'm the one who should be sorry."

"Truce?" I suggested, wanting nothing more than to move past this topic and resume our playful banter. For once, the bug was taking things so seriously that he just had to address an issue I didn't even know existed.

"No, no, no truce," Issun groaned. My spirits fell at that and before I could catch myself I let out a whine that almost sounded like a dog's whimper. Unfortunately I think Issun heard it too because his back stiffened and he began trying to elaborate, "What I mean is, I really am sorry for what I said. I—I mean…it's just that Waka pisses me off to no end and when he interrogates me—the fact that he called me out like that—"

"Saying you weren't an artist?" I finished for him. Issun slumped down in defeat as if I had caught him red-handed but I sighed and let out a small chuckle before continuing, "Issun, after you left Waka apologized for what he said. He knows you're a real artist, he just…I'm not sure what beef you two have had in the past but he knows that he stepped over the line with that accusation. And I know you're an artist, Issun. It's okay."

"But it's not okay!" Issun barked back, catching me off guard. "I'm—he's—" Issun paused mid-sentence as if his mind were actually processing what I actually said and he asked dumbfounded, "Waka actually apologized?"

"Yes!" I threw my hands in the air, trying not to get annoyed with the bug, "That's what I just said. He knows you're an artist he just got beside himself for some reason. Guess it had to do with some promise he made with my father way back when…well, when my dad actually _liked_ me that is."

"Oh," Issun said with a low voice. He fell silent for the longest time. So long, in fact, that I was really starting to worry about him.

"Issun, is everything alright?" I asked. At that, Issun shook back to alertness and choked over his own words as he recovered.

"Huh? Y-y-yeah! I mean—why do you ask?" he asked. I pursed my lips and sighed.

"You've been acting really weird around me lately," I pointed out, not sure if his bizarre antics the last week had to do with his outburst or not.

"Oh?" Issun laughed nervously, "What do you mean?"

"Well there was the other day with Waka, obviously," I said, "but you've also been…oh, I dunno…antsy? Around me? Remember that?"

Suddenly, Issun seemed really _really_ uncomfortable. "Antsy? Well! Hum…what exactly do you mean by antsy?"

At that, I really had to think of the right word choice for this. Meanwhile, I could feel my heart sinking knowing that any and all awkwardness between us had stemmed from the other night in Sei-an when I made a certain confession to him. It was by no means a love confession, but I did let some of my feelings towards him out in the open and I was growing increasingly uncomfortable myself knowing that fact.

"Well…ever since we had that conversation at the inn in Sei-an," I began, "I…I said some things to you and you um…you haven't seemed to comfortable around me since…"

I heard a small gulp before Issun answered, "Oh."

"Look, if any thing I said was too weird for you—I'm sorry," I began. I'm sure Issun was about to answer back but for some strange reason, my mouth kept going, "I mean, you're a great guy and…we're friends! You're like my best friend, actually. And you're amazing and—and—well, it wasn't like I was confessing my love to you or anything because I wasn't-! At least not then! Because I think I do—! I mean—!"

"What?" Issun asked, almost horrified. I felt a lump in my chest form as I spoke but as I stumbled over the word "love" I felt my breath catch completely and the words that escaped after that only made things worse.

"Uh," I gulped. There were a thousand things I could have said to cover up my mistake but for some stupid reason—probably the same that caused me to spew out the love word to begin with—my mind could not process any of them.

I don't know how long I sat there motionless or how stupid I looked doing so, but it was apparently enough for Issun to rise to his feet in concern and hop onto my shoulder and smack my cheek lightly. "Pup?" he asked, "Are you in there?"

"What did I just say?" I breathed finally. There was no way I said what I thought I had said.

Unfortunately, Issun only validated my fears as he mumbled, "Well, apparently there was some sort of confession for love or something, but I might have heard you wrong. Actually I think I did hear you wrong. Didn't I?"

Once again, I was stuck, frozen and unable to write off this whole nightmare as sleep deprivation or some lame excuse.

"Pup? You were joking…right?" Issun asked. "You don't actually—you can't…not _me_ of all people…"

"I need a minute," I said quickly, rising to my feet with enough speed to push the poncle off of me. Before Issun could say anything or attempt to chase after me I walked away from the monument and climbed down Watcher's Cape, my pace gradually quickening until I was sprinting blindly away from my flub. This couldn't be happening, this just couldn't!

_Etsuko!_ I heard Ammy's voice call out just before I crashed into the wolf, not realizing that I was sobbing until I had time to catch my breath but couldn't. Ammy sat up and shook herself, but quickly rushed to my side asking, _Etsuko? What's wrong?_

"Ohhhh I screwed up, Ammy, I really did!" I panicked, sitting up on my knees. I wiped my face of tears as quickly as I could but they just kept coming and my breathing became more and more ragged.

_What happened? What did you do? Etsuko?_ Ammy asked me, but I was too panicked and too lightheaded to even respond, I just kept rambling nonsense. Before I could get too hysterical, Ammy let out a growl and barked, _Etsuko!_

I snapped out of my anxiety long enough to turn my attention to the wolf before she ordered, _Breathe now, you're alright._

I did as she said and took a few deep breaths to compose myself, but shook my head and insisted, "No, no I'm not, Ammy…wait, where is Waka?"

_He left,_ the wolf explained, _Had some business to deal with in the city and said that he didn't want to start any more arguments with Issun at this point. But never mind that, what happened?_

"Issun," I answered. Ammy's ears flattened and she started to growl in anticipation, knowing full well what that bug and I were capable of when it came to our tempers, but I quickly waved my hands in front of—well, near—her face and shook my head explaining, "I screwed up! I said some things…and I don't think I should have…and oh good grief I screwed up!"

_What did you say?_ Ammy asked, sounding alarmed.

"Well, a few nights ago I told him what you told me to tell him back at the hot spring and Issun all the sudden started acting weird around me and I tried to apologize for it if he thought it was weird and I might have accidentally…um…." I paused, realizing that my banter wasn't making any sense, but Ammy's head leaned forward intently and I held my breath and squealed, "I think I just let it slip that I loved him!"

Instinctively, I squinted my eyes shut and held my hands over my ears, expecting the worst to come out of this, but Ammy sat back on her hind legs and let out a series of loud yips until she fell on her back and started rolling on the ground.

She was laughing at me.

Fantastic.

"Ammy!" I groaned, "This is serious!"

_I'm sorry, dear!_ The wolf apologized, _But the way you were speaking I thought you two had been attacked! But that's all? Well, and here I thought something bad happened!_

"Something bad did happen!" I growled back, crossing my arms, "This is a bad thing! It's a very bad!"

_And why is it so, Etsuko?_ Ammy asked, sitting back up. Her ears flicked up expectantly and her tail wagged slightly. Clearly, she wasn't getting the message.

"I just told Issun that I…_loved_ him," I explained, stumbling over that word again. "Ammy, you didn't see his reaction."

_I imagine it was that of shock,_ the wolf guessed.

"Ammy," I lowered my voice, "he's going to hate me. He probably already does and I just made it worse!"

_Hate you?_ Ammy asked, seeming really surprised by my remarks, _How could he hate you? Etsuko, he feels the same way. He's probably just in shock that you told him what your feelings mean so soon._

What?

"What?" I asked, horribly confused. Ammy didn't seem to notice her slip of tongue just yet and she continued to elaborate.

_Well, I mean, after the hot spring, he heard what you had to say and then he heard you say those words again. He knows how you feel and he feels the same he just doesn't really believe it yet._

Out of everything the wolf said, only two words stuck in my mind.

"Hot spring?" I asked through gritted teeth. Just how did he—?

Ammy seemed to realize her own flub then as her ears flattened and she let out a whimper, trying to explain, _Etsuko, don't be upset. It was simply misjudgment on his part…_

"His part?" I asked, the pieces starting to come together. "You mean to tell me that he _heard_ our conversation back there?"

_Well, yes, but I assure you he didn't mean to peep—_

"_Peep_?" I growled. "You mean to tell me that he went _peeping_? I knew the monk was acting rather suspicious the next day but _Issun_ went with him too?"

_Etsuko, please don't be angry with him—_

"I'm going to murder that little twerp!" I roared, turning around and stomping my way back to Watcher's Cape. When I arrived, I found Issun bouncing furiously, unaware of just how furious I was with him.

"Pup!" he yelled, "What the hell was that all about?"

When he was mid-jump, I swiped my hand across and snatched that bug out of the air, squeezing him with just enough force to cut off his air supply. He let out a little cough in response.

"You were peeping on us in the hot springs?" I growled angrily. Issun inhaled as if to voice his own accusations when my words clicked in his mind and he let out a nervous grunt.

"Well, uh, I uh…" Issun stammered, guilty as charged. My mouth contorted into what I imagined was the ugliest frown as Issun managed to pull himself out of my grasp and hop onto the top of my hand, declaring, "It was the monk's idea!"

"Oh, so you just went along for the hell of it!" I snapped.

"Well, I didn't look if that's what you're wondering!" the bug tried to defend, but I didn't buy it.

"So you just casually scaled the rafters of the damn hot spring to _not_ look at a bunch of naked girls?"

"Okay, fine! I just happened to see you when you stood up from the water, but I turned away after that, I swear! I avoided staring at you even!"

I wasn't sure if Issun just had really bad luck with his word choice or if he was actually insulting me, but even Ammy backed away from us as if she were offended by his remarks.

"Oh! So I'm ugly now!"

"I didn't say that!"

"Then what did you say!"

"I mean I was trying to be respectful!"

"Trying to be—you were _peeping_!"

"Okay! I'm sorry!"

"Oh sure you are!"

"Well what do you want me to say?"

_Enough!_ Ammy howled, finally, _You two will go on in circles all night if you don't shut your traps! Etsuko, look, as pigheaded as Issun's actions were that night—and as poor his word choices are—he really does mean well. He didn't mean to disrespect you or offend you. And Issun…just try not to make things worse for yourself._

"That's all you got for me, Furball?" Issun groaned, crossing his arms. Ammy shook her head in response.

_For now, yes_, the wolf sighed. _Anyway, where were we?_

"Before or after I was going to strangle the bug?" I asked sarcastically, although for the moment I had forgotten what happened before.

"Oh! You said that you loved me!" Issun reminded, hopping up and down on my hand. I could feel my arms go numb as the fell uselessly to my sides, causing Issun to fall onto the ground on accident. "Hey!"

I seriously thought I was going to throw up.

_Etsuko? _Ammy asked, _Are you alright?_

"Did I say something?" Issun asked, as if my whole little confession-fiasco was no big deal.

_You say a lot of things_, the wolf groaned, _but I think she's in disbelief that you reciprocate your feelings for her._

"Well, I never said I did!" Issun protested stubbornly, though unbeknownst to him, that statement only made me feel worse.

_The longer you deny this the worse you're going to make her feel,_ Ammy pointed out.

"Well what am I supposed to say?" Issun asked. He turned his head towards me and paused, part of me wondered if I looked as bad as I felt in that moment because the next thing he said was "Pup? Are you feeling okay? You look a little green…"

I couldn't even stand without feeling like I was going to fall over, but any sudden movement made my stomach churn and the only thing I could sputter out was a stupid, "What's…green…"

Before Issun could give me a smartass response I felt my insides knot up and I pitched forward suddenly. Without knowing what to do, I allowed my reflexes to spin me around towards the edge of the cliff as I fell to my knees and hurled what felt like a week's worth of lunch.

* * *

**Issun**

Huh. So demons did get sick, you learn something new every day.

Although, after that experience, Issun had a feeling that he wouldn't be on speaking terms with Etsuko, much less be able to talk with her about everything, for quite a while.

She certainly had a sour look on her face when she sat back down, that's for sure.

"Don't. Say. Anything," she snapped at the poncle when she did manage to speak up.

"Wasn't going to," Issun nodded back, his voice cracking slightly under the pressure of the sheer anger that was coming off her small form. He was pretty certain in that instant that she was going to kill him.

An hour or so passed and the three hunkered down for bed. Issun was just about to doze off when he heard Etsuko shuffling to her feet and wandering off. The poncle sat up and watched as the dog demon walked away, hoping his stupidity didn't scare her away for good. To his surprise, however, Etsuko stopped at the edge of the cliff (far to the right of where she hurled earlier) and sat down, hugging her knees to the chest and turning her head up to the sky.

He was going to leave her be, but he couldn't take his eyes off her, unbeknownst to him, neither could Ammy, until she nudged him with her snout, of course.

_Go talk to her,_ the god whispered. Issun turned back to the wolf and found her gold eyes twinkling with excitement.

"What do I even say?" he whispered back. At that, Furball shrugged but gave him another nudge.

_Not an insult,_ Furball replied jokingly. Well, so far everything that came out of Issun's mouth was an insult at this point, but figuring he could not argue with the sun god he rose to his feet and hopped over to where Etsuko sat. He knew she noticed him approaching because her back straightened and her head cocked to the side as he drew close, though she didn't say anything to him. She neither protested nor acknowledged Issun's presence when he hopped up on her shoulder either.

For a moment, they sat in silence and Issun knew that he had to at least say something, but the only things that came to mind were flat out stupid.

But it was Pup who broke the silence: "What does it look like?"

"I'm sorry?" Issun asked, not sure what the dog demon meant. Her head tilted up towards the sky as her golden eyes searched for any trace of light that they might possibly recognize.

"The sky," Etsuko elaborated, "What does it look like? Are there stars?"

Issun glanced up at the sky. Frankly, he didn't get what was so exciting about it that could peak the demon's interest, so he shrugged, "It's just a lot of black. None of the stars are out right now."

At that, Etsuko sighed and she almost looked a little sad, "Are there clouds behind it?"

"Hard to say," Issun responded flatly, "Like I said, it's just a lot of black. Kind of boring."

"Oh," Etsuko shrugged. She sighed and tilted her head back down and she leaned forward slightly, resting her chin in the palm of her hand.

"Why do you ask?" Issun asked, his curiosity now peaking. Etsuko shook her head.

"Oh, no reason," she sighed. Odd, she looked…really sad. "It's just…when I was little, when I lived in Kamiki with my father, we used to eat lunch outside on the cliff that overlooks the village and every day I'd sit on his lap and he'd tell me what the sky looked like on that day."

"The sky?" Issun raised an eyebrow at that. Glancing up at the black sea above him, he noted at least a hundred things that were more interesting than the sky.

"Yeah," Etsuko said, smiling at a distant memory, "I'd sit on his lap and he'd tell me what color it was on that day, if the sun was out, how many clouds there were, what shapes the clouds were…it sounds pretty stupid, I know."

"What? No, no!" Issun said, catching himself in the middle of a daze. "I mean, it's not the most exciting thing but…it actually sounds really nice."

"It was," Etsuko sighed, her eyes blinking several consecutive times. How close she must've been with her father. It was a shame that everything happened between those two. He could easily tell in their few encounters that Lord Sesshomaru still cared deeply for Etsuko, and it was even more evident that Etsuko missed her father's love more than anything. Pup quickly shook herself and then said, "Sometimes, if I couldn't sleep at night he'd take me outside and tell me about the stars and the moon. He said they were always bright and beautiful, that they twinkled in the night sky."

Issun looked back up at the sky and almost wished he could curse it for not revealing the stars to the girl. If anything, she deserved the stars of all things to come out, if only just once.

"Well, I'm sorry there aren't any stars out for you tonight," Issun said, "I really am."

"It's fine," Etsuko said, "It's just a memory."

"It's a beautiful one, that's for sure," Issun noted. Etsuko turned her head towards the poncle and her lips lifted in a small smile, her unseeing eyes sparkling more than even the stars on the clearest night.

"You think so?" she asked.

"Of course," Issun said, "I may say stupid shit but one thing's for sure you can count on me to speak the honest truth."

Etsuko let out a laugh, "And that's a fact!"

"You know," Issun began, really not sure where he was going with this, "They say that on nights when the stars aren't out is when you can see them falling from the sky."

"What?" Etsuko asked, slightly confused.

"Have you ever heard of shooting stars?" Issun asked.

"Yeah, Dad used to talk about them," Etsuko said, "he said that if you ever see a shooting star, you can make a wish and that wish will come true. He never saw one for me to make a wish on, though."

"Well, what my grandpa used to tell me was that the shooting stars were really stars falling from the heavens to give light to the blackest of nights," Issun added. "It makes a lot more sense when he tells the story, but he said the reason you don't ever see shooting stars out is because they only show up when the rest of the stars are gone. And the sky is so black right now…I bet we could see one."

"I ran into a traveler the other day talking about shooting stars, you know," Etsuko noted. "It was while you were gone. He said he came this way to see a whirlpool galaxy in the sky, but that the galaxy would only show up if you made a wish on a star for it."

"Hm," Issun grunted.

"What would you wish for?" Etsuko asked, "If you saw a shooting star, I mean."

"I dunno," Issun shrugged, "Maybe to find this dang whirlpool to show up. You?"

"Well, my dad always told me that if I had the chance to wish upon a star, I should wish for my eyesight but," Etsuko paused, her head turning back up to the sky, "right this very moment, I think I would wish for that traveler to see the Whirlpool Galaxy. He was heartbroken when the stars didn't come out the other night. I think he might've waited all night for a shooting star too."

"You don't even know him," Issun stated. That answer was a little out of the blue, even for Etsuko.

"Sounds weird, I know," Etsuko chuckled, "but the guy was a kind man and he traveled all this way to see it. And by himself too, he didn't have any friends with him. I just feel like someone has to look out for him, you know?"

"Yeah," Issun smiled. Behind that tough hide of hers, Etsuko could be a really kind person, he thought.

"You know what, while we're here, I'm going to make that wish too," Issun said, "but only while we're here."

"And why just here?" Etsuko asked curiously.

"Because I have a more important wish I want to make," Issun stated suddenly, a different thought coming to mind.

"You want the whirlpool to show up?" Etsuko joked.

"Well, yeah, that'd be great," Issun scoffed, but he caught another glance of Etsuko's face—Etsuko's smile—and he felt his heart flutter in his chest as he felt his voice soften and say, "but my wish is a little more important than that."

"And that is?" Etsuko pried.

"For you to be able to see the sky," Issun admitted. "For you to look up with your own eyes and see the clouds, the sun, and the stars at night. And…so you can look in the mirror and see what I see."

The poncle glanced up at Etsuko whose smile had fallen and she turned her head away slightly, clearly not sure what to make of his remarks. Ugh, and he told himself he wasn't going to say anything stupid the rest of the night…

"What I mean is," Issun stuttered, trying to recover, "You made it all this way on your own, you didn't even start this journey with family or friends—we were strangers when we met you—so I mean, someone's gotta look out for you, you know?"

"Issun," Etsuko gasped. "Thank you."

Issun felt a warmth swell up in his chest as he realized that it was possible for Etsuko to love someone like him. And he realized that it was Etsuko who had put that warmth in his chest there to begin with.

"No," Issun sighed, "Thank you."

At that, Pup cracked a smile and giggled, "You keep thanking me and I never know why."

Issun felt his eye twitch.

"Oh really?" Issun asked. "When did I thank you last?"

"At Himiko's palace," Etsuko noted. "And out of the blue too."

"Oh."

"I mean, it's not a bad thing!" Etsuko teased, playfully running her fingers through her hair, "I'll take whatever compliments or gratitude you're willing to give! I just don't know what it's for is all."

"Well, I'm not sure I can put the reason for my gratitude into words," Issun found himself chuckling. The two fell silent after that and Issun couldn't help but notice the warmth in his chest swell into a feeling of utter panic and before he knew what he was doing, he found him spewing out words as he said, "Hey, Pup?"

"Yes?" Etsuko asked, her complexion visibly paling. She must've known what the poncle was about to ask.

"What you said…is it true? That you…have feelings for me, I mean…" Issun stuttered. At the question, Issun could feel Etsuko tense up and she hugged herself tighter.

"I don't know what this is, Issun," Etsuko admitted. "I've never felt this before. I just…I know I shouldn't think or feel this way, I mean we live in two different worlds. And I'm a cursed demon. I just…when I'm with you…and we're joking around—before one of us pisses the other off, that is—I—"

"Pup," Issun stopped Etsuko before she could ramble on anymore and embarrass herself. It was moments like this when he wished the two were the same size, but he realized that until Etsuko had an excuse to use the Lucky Mallet again he would just have to make do. "I love you too."

Etsuko sounded like she was choking as she tried responding to that statement: "What?"

"I," Issun breathed, sitting back slightly, trying to find the air in his lungs in order to speak, "I have feelings for you too."

"Feelings," Etsuko repeated.

"Yes," Issun answered.

"As in, for the most part positive feelings," Etsuko clarified.

"Yes."

"Towards me."

"Who else?"

"And they are feelings of affection?"

"Pretty much."

"You serious?"

"Pup!" Issun snapped, growing quickly annoyed with the demon's recent panic-induced episodes.

"Sorry!" Etsuko squeaked, "Just clarifying where we stand is all."

Issun rolled his eyes but found himself saying, "Well, where we stand in terms of relationship is a good question. I mean…size…"

"Right," Etsuko cringed. She held her hand out for Issun to hop onto before she lifted him to her eye-level. "Minor issue."

Issun crossed his arms and sighed heavily. What was he going to do with her?

"So how did you come to have feelings for me anyway?" Issun asked curiously, noting the blush that ran across Etsuko's cheeks as well as her look of annoyance at the question.

"Well, I can't say that I remember I just know that my time spent at your height just about solidified it for me," the dog demon admitted.

"I remember you getting pissed at me," Issun rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, because you were flirting," Etsuko explained.

"I always flirt," Issun shrugged.

"You were flirting with my best friend," Etsuko clarified, her eyes narrowing.

"Yeah, but I always flirt," Issun repeated.

"While at the same time slapping me in the face," Pup's tone of voice was starting to get more and more cross with Issun, but he really couldn't figure out why other than she had just been a raging mutt for the majority of the time in question.

"Well, you kinda needed it," Issun defended. "I really am sorry though."

"Bug!" Etsuko snapped. "You're missing my point!"

"What point? I get it! I was flirting! I was flirting with everyone, I don't really get why it was suddenly a problem though it's not like I was flirting with you I mean—"

"Issun," Etsuko groaned. Issun paused and looked up at the arched eyebrows, dull eyes, and really unamused expression on the demon's face. That's when it hit him.

"Oh!" Issun gasped, "Because I wasn't flirting with you! Okay!"

Etsuko simply responded with an upturn of the side of her mouth and a slight arch of the eyebrow on the same side. Wow. He felt stupid.

"Well, then," Issun stretched his arms, feeling pretty damn good about himself before he gave Etsuko a playful wink (that he realized afterwards she couldn't even see) and said, "it's never to late to start dishing out some of my signature smooth talk!"

"Don't even think about it," Etsuko grimaced. "And your banter is hardly smooth."

"You just said you were mad that I wasn't flirting with you!" Issun shouted, horribly confused.

"Yeah, I was back then," Etsuko stated, "But that was only because you were flirting with my friend and I was jealous."

"So…you don't want me to flirt with you?" Issun asked for clarification.

"I just want you to treat me how you always have," Etsuko said.

"But we argue a lot," Issun pointed out, but Pup merely shrugged at that.

"Well, it would be you without the arguments," Etsuko giggled. She then gave a small but sweet smile and Issun found himself in a daze as he stared into her blind eyes. She looked so innocent, but so full of love in that moment, and Issun was amazed no other guy had come by to sweep the demon off her feet sooner.

"Um," Etsuko snapped out of her own trance and turned her head away slightly, blushing before she said, "We should probably get some rest."

"Oh! Yeah," Issun said. "You go on to sleep, I'm just gonna stay up for a little while longer."

"Okay," Etsuko said. She shifted her weight so she was sitting on her knees and started to set Issun on the ground, but she paused for a moment and then lifted him back up to her face again. "Goodnight," she said.

"To you as well," Issun responded, tilting his hat slightly. And that was when Etsuko did something that neither of the two expected. Not even taking time to breathe, Etsuko brought Issun closer to her as she placed a small kiss on the side of his face. It knocked his cap off-center a bit and he nearly fell over in shock, but just as Etsuko set Issun back down, he caught a glimpse of an equally shocked look on the demon's face. She exhaled the breath she had been holding and allowed Issun to hop off her hand and onto the ground. Issun felt a huge smile spread across his face and his heart leaped in his chest. He only realized that Etsuko couldn't see his smile when she began to stand silently, still in a daze over her own actions.

"Hey!" Issun called out to Etsuko as she turned to take her place beside Furball and rest. Etsuko turned her upper body back to Issun with a confused look on her face. Issun couldn't help but chuckle at that as he added, "Sweet dreams."

A huge smile spread across Etsuko's lips at that and she responded, "If the stars come out, be sure to make a wish on them."

"You know I will," Issun teased. Etsuko raised an eyebrow and smirked as she went to lie down. The poncle then sat down at the edge of the cliff and stared out at the ocean. As great as he felt in that moment, he knew they needed to find that whirlpool to the Dragonian palace ASAP.

It couldn't have been more than an hour after Etsuko went to bed, but when Issun looked up at the sky again, the gods must've been looking down on them because not one, but three shooting stars flew across the sky suddenly.

On instinct, Issun turned back towards where Ammy and Etsuko slept and called out, "Pup!" but he turned back to the stars in the sky and noticed the path their light created was starting to vanish. It was a stupid thing to do, but he felt that he needed to make at least one wish for Etsuko. At first he started to form the words for a wish for her eyesight, but when he took a quick glance back at Etsuko and remembered her own wish, he found himself changing his mind.

"Uh, okay, I wish that Etsuko's wish for the traveler she met would come true and that he can see the Whirlpool Galaxy tonight."

The gods really must've been shining down on them that night because when he looked up next, he saw the thick black clouds above dissipate and give way to a wild flurry of stars all lined up in the shape of a whirlpool.

Oh shit, well if that worked…

"Also give the Pup some eyesight while you're at it!"

* * *

**Etsuko**

"PUP! WAKE UP!" I took a sharp intake of breath as Issun screamed into my ear. I had _just_ fallen asleep, that damn bug! I was going to kill him.

"Issun, go away," I groaned, too tired to do anything but swat him away.

"But the stars! They came out!" he pleaded. I held in another groan. As sentimental as I was earlier about my childhood memories, I didn't actually care if the stars came out.

"That's great, I'm going back to bed," I grumbled, turning over.

"Agh! Stubborn dogs," Issun mumbled before he pulled one of my eyelids open and shouted, "Shooting stars, Pup! Shooting stars! I made a wish and it worked! Now can you see anything?"

"I can't see shit, Issun, I'm blind!" I snapped swatting the poncle away again. I then paused and sat up. "What wish did you make?"

"The Whirlpool Galaxy!" Issun barked. "And it came out!"

"Oh!" I gasped, leaping to my feet. You mean he actually made my wish for me? Seriously? I knew that nice man would be ecstatic to see the stars in the sky and from the way he was talking, I was almost sad I couldn't see it for myself.

"But that's not the only thing," Issun said, hopping over to Ammy. He yanked on the furball's ears, causing the god to let out a whine in an attempt to ignore him and go back to sleep. "Ammy! Get up! I think I found a way to find the whirlpool!"

Ammy struggled to stir and comprehend what Issun was saying, but the poncle hopped over to a plaque near the monument of Watcher's Cape and motioned for me to follow him.

"So what do you mean you found a way to get to the whirlpool?" I asked, rubbing my head. Issun hopped in front of the plaque excitedly and waited for Ammy to wander over towards us before he explained.

"I was reading this plaque earlier and it explains the history of Watcher's Cape, but towards the bottom it talks about this prophecy of an undersea palace and it reads down here, '…only when the Whirlpool Galaxy spins will the door to the hidden palace open.' I didn't pay to much attention to it until you brought up that traveler you met earlier, Pup, but I think we're onto something!" Issun cheered. I felt a smile forming as he spoke. Issun's genius was showing for once. And it was kind of attractive!

_Okay, well we have the Whirlpool Galaxy_, Ammy noted, turning her head up towards the sky. _All we need is for it to spin!_

"Can constellations even do that?" I asked in confusion.

"Only one way to find out!" Issun cheered. "Let's see some of that brushwork, Furball!"

* * *

**Kagura**

She was always amazed how Inuyasha and his idiot friends were so willing to let her go after a confrontation. But this time, she found herself having to fight her way through them after she made the mistake of letting it slip that she was Etsuko's mother.

She flew swiftly on her feather over the ocean towards her rendezvous point with Naraku. She didn't know why he wanted to see her, it was never good news but with the sudden news of Etsuko's reappearance, Kagura could only fear the worst.

And, if things couldn't get any worse, she realized too late that she was loosing focus and starting to fly closer to the ground when the sun rose and the humans who emerged from their homes took notice of the wind sorceress. In no time, the screams of fright ended in the summoning of the local priestess from Ankoku Temple and after careless maneuvers to avoid the attacks, the priestess managed to strike Kagura's feather and knock her back to the ground.

"Damn, you!" Kagura cursed under her breath, readying her fan for an attack. She rose to her feet, but froze in place when she saw the priestess who stood before her.

Rao.

"Kagura," Priestess Rao greeted. "It's been quite some time."

Kagura lowered her fan for a brief, and stupid moment, "Last I heard you had been killed by demons."

"Really now?" Rao asked, almost surprised by the comment, though a bemused smile spread across her lips. She never actually responded to Kagura's remark about her supposed death but instead invited the woman into her temple for tea. The wind sorceress found herself rather uncomfortable by the gesture, but Rao seemed rather insistent and it seemed to be the only way to keep the humans from attacking her and causing her more trouble than she needed.

"Tell me," Rao began, "what has become of Etsuko?"

"Well," Kagura shrugged, "I don't know. I thought she too had died but I heard recently from a half-demon named Inuyasha that she's alive and travelling with a white wolf and a boy the size of a flea demon."

"Did they say were she was heading to?" Rao asked. Kagura shook her head. "But she is alive?" Rao then asked and Kagura nodded her head.

"I suppose so," the wind sorceress asked. The priestess suddenly started bombarding Kagura with even more questions about Etsuko, suspicious questions, and the wind sorceress found herself growing more and more uncomfortable until she could take it no longer and she rose to her feet, announcing, "Thank you for the tea, but I really must go. I have someone to meet with."

"Is it Naraku?" Rao asked as Kagura turned, and that caused the demon to freeze in place.

"How do you know who Naraku is?" Kagura asked suspiciously. Rao remained sitting, her expression stoic and unchanging. Instead of answering her, the priestess lifted her head and posed a different question.

"Just one more question before you leave, Kagura, please," Rao asked. "Is Sesshomaru with his daughter?"

"Why would he be?" Kagura asked rhetorically in response, "Last I saw him he was accusing me of killing her! I doubt even he knows she's alive."

A dark smile spread across Rao's lips at that and she answered, "Good."

Kagura watched as the priestess rose to her feet and began to walk towards the door of the temple, Kagura could feel her fingers turn cold in fear as she asked, "Why do you want to know that?"

Rao stopped and turned back to Kagura with that wicked smile on her face, though she looked past the wind sorceress causing Kagura too to look behind her, and the man she saw standing before her made her want to scream. It was Naraku.

Naraku lifted his hand as her heart appeared in its palm. He squeezed it slightly, just enough to cause a wrenching pain to attack Kagura's chest as she fell to her knees, unable to move. Naraku chuckled at her pain and said, "Don't worry Kagura, this is only temporary. I can't risk you betraying us, at least not right now."

"Naraku, did you see Sesshomaru with Etsuko when you scouted her out?" Rao asked the half demon.

"He was there, however, he turned and ran the other way as soon as he saw her and the affects of her curse took place," Naraku explained. "He can't get within five feet of her without risking her health, he won't dare to be anywhere near her at this point."

"Good," Rao grinned, "Now all I need are the Fox Rods and everything will proceed as according to plan."

"But why!" Kagura managed to cry out, "Why is it so important that Sesshomaru is away from Etsuko! Just why is she so important to you?"

"Because," Rao finally answered, "she has spiritual powers even she is unaware of. Powers that I need. And besides, I can't have Sesshomaru getting in the way of things."

Kagura glared fiercely at the priestess, trying everything she could to fight back against Naraku's grasp, but as long as he held her heart, there was nothing she could do. And, just to taunt the wind sorceress further, she laughed maniacally and pretended to pout, "It's a shame that Daddy won't be there to protect his little girl while I make her scream."

* * *

**Sesshomaru**

He could smell Etsuko at the Northern Coast. She was still with the god and the bug. He knew he needed to leave the girl be. He didn't want to watch her grow ill by just being in his very presence. And yet for some reason, he couldn't bring himself to leave Ryoshima. Something was off, he knew, and he had a bad feeling it either had to do with Naraku or Etsuko.

Or worst case scenario: both.

They passed a human temple and he recognized it as the one Rao resided in before she had been killed and possessed by demons. He sniffed the air. Something was fowl, but a barrier was erected to mask the actual stench of whomever the scent belonged to.

Please, did Naraku actually think that same old trick would fool Sesshomaru a second time?

"Is something the matter, Lord Sesshomaru?" Rin asked as Sesshomaru waltzed up the stairs and passed small crowds of terrified humans. The sun rose high into the sky as it approached midday, the heat of the day only intensifying as Sesshomaru approached the barrier. It was a weak one, the dog demon figured he could easily break through it without the aid of Tetsusaiga or worse, Inuyasha. But there was something stranger still about the barrier.

"Jaken," Sesshomaru stated. At once, the imp scurried over to Sesshomaru's side. "Who resides in this temple?"

"That would be the Priestess Rao, Milord," Jaken answered. "If I remember correctly, she is a regent of Nippon's human queen and travels back and forth between the capital city and this temple to do her work!"

"Priestess Rao is dead," Sesshomaru stated firmly, his mind drifting back to that fateful night engulfed in flames and his daughter's screams. The priestess had been murdered and possessed by a powerful foxlike demon, that much he knew.

The news seemed to startle everyone present but the dog demon as Jaken stammered uncontrollably, trying to make sense of his master's words.

"But that can't be right, Lord Sesshomaru!" Rin pleaded, "While you were away, Jaken and I met Priestess Rao right here! She was very pretty."

Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes at that. That was not possible.

Turning his attention towards the closest human, Sesshomaru unsheathed his Tokijin and advanced on an elderly man, calling out, "You there! Where may I find the Priestess Rao at this time of day?"

The man screamed and dropped a handful of vegetables, but he bowed and answered, "Normally she is in the city, however today she said she was traveling to the northern coast. Said something about slaying a powerful demon!"

"Did she say what kind of demon?" Sesshomaru asked.

"N-no sir," the man stammered, presumably fearing for his life, "she just warned us that the demon she searched for appeared as a blind and helpless maiden, but could destroy us all at any given moment and to be cautious of her!"

"A blind maiden…?" Sesshomaru mouthed out the words. He then felt a pang in his chest as he sheathed Tokijin and breathed, "Oh no."

Without second thought, Sesshomaru took off running towards the northern coast. Rin and Jaken were smart enough to climb onto Ah-Un's back and the two-headed dragon caught up to the dog demon as best as it could. Once they were in ear shot, Sesshomaru looked back towards the two and ordered, "When we get to the city you two are to stay there until I return. Do not follow me after that point!"

"B-But why, Lord Sesshomaru?" Jaken asked.

Sesshomaru didn't answer, he felt he didn't need to. It was half a day's journey to the northern coast even at his pace, but Sesshomaru could only hope he wouldn't be too late.

* * *

**Etsuko**

I should've known something was wrong before Ammy and Issun left for the Dragon Palace.

Turns out that Issun's hunch about the Whirlpool Galaxy being tied to the location of the actual whirlpool we were looking for was right. And the next morning, they were hopping on Orca again to figure out what to do with the Water Dragon. With Waka gone this time around, I had absolutely nothing to do, so I wandered the beach aimlessly. For a while, it was peaceful.

My first warning sign that something was wrong was when I heard furious roars out in the distance accompanied by the sound of something large struggling in the ocean. A few humans who heard the commotion came out of their homes and ran to the beach shores.

"It's the Water Dragon!" someone called out.

"Is it dying?" another person asked. My heart stopped in my chest at the thought. Oh no, did something happen to Ammy and Issun? Did they have to fight the Water Dragon? I did not know, and I would not know. But the commotion calmed as quickly as it arose and those of us ashore resumed our daily habits and I continued to wander the beach. I returned to the Watcher's Cape that now overlooked the Whirlpool Entrance to the Dragon Palace and I could only hope that my friends were alright.

That's when my second warning sign approached me.

"Etsuko! What are you doing here?" Rao asked as she snuck up behind me. I turned my body to face the priestess.

"Just waiting for Ammy and Issun to get back," I answered cautiously. "Why are you here?"

"I saw the Water Dragon thrashing about in the ocean and I rushed to the Dragon Palace as quickly as I could to see if they were alright," Rao explained. "I just returned from there."

What? That didn't make any sense. "You just got back from the Dragon Palace?" I asked. Rao nodded her head. I took a step towards the priestess and added, "You just returned from the underwater palace _without _Orca."

"Oh, there are other means of reaching the Dragon Palace, Etsuko," Rao explained and I found us both subconsciously circling around each other in a cautious pace.

"Care to elaborate?" I asked.

"Well, when you have power like me, you don't need to ride on a fish to reach the Dragon Palace," Rao answered. "Especially when the situation is this dire."

It was then when I noticed the rods in the priestess's arms. She kept her body turned away slightly as if to hide them from me like I saw through my eyes. "And what are those?" I asked her.

"My power," Rao responded. I felt myself instinctively fingering the bangles around my wrists.

"Let me guess," I started, "those Fox Rods you were searching for when you tried to drown us?"

"Ooh, harsh words, Etsuko," Rao chided. "But yes, yes they are."

I should've run then, we both knew that I knew she was a fake. I should have run, I could have easily outrun her, I would have bumped into someone who could help me take her down. But no, stupid me had to confront her on my own. "Just what are you?"

Rao let out a chuckle and shook her head, "I think the real question, Etsuko, is what are you?"

"What is that supposed to mean?" I asked in a low voice.

"Well, it's simple, you are a dog demon who was born blind." Rao began, "Descended from another dog demon with power greater than even her son, the dog general. They say that your great-grandmother as born in the holy land of Kamui and that she became a god upon her death."

"Those are just stories," I shook my head. I had heard that story once from my father but even he scoffed at the thought of his grandmother actually becoming a god. "Besides, what does that have to do with me? I'm not my ancestor."

"Oh, but you are," Rao explained, "Surely you must've noticed certain abilities unique to only you. You're blind and yet you can still navigate the world around you. Your eyes themselves can still see holy entities—you possess the spirit eye. And that is only a fraction of your potential."

Part of me wanted to ask Rao more questions, but I knew I wouldn't want to hear the answers from her, so I clenched my jaw tightly and changed my bangles into blades, ready to fight. The motion caused Rao to pause in her banter and her tone shifted considerably.

"Let's just make one thing clear, Etsuko," Rao said in a low voice, "You may be a demon but it is only the pure that can be cursed."

"Just who are you and why do you know these things?" I spat out, lowering myself ready for battle.

I should've known something was wrong long before Issun and Ammy left for the Dragon Palace. Hell, I should have known the moment Dad tried disowning me.

Rao lifted her hands and a dark, dark aura surrounded her body. It was massive and looked to have nine tails, it looked like a monster. Rao only laughed as I took a step back in fear as she answered, "I am the reason your dear daddy isn't hear to save you. I am your curse!"

* * *

A/N: yeah, this is the "OH SHIT" moment I was talking about up top. Well...at least Issun and Etsuko are getting somewhere in their relationship? Oi, hopefully I update again soon. But thanks for hanging in there with me!


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